Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir is crowned
BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year 2008

Scunthorpe based choir beats almost 200 others to become best amateur choir in the UK

Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir has been crowned BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year (www.choiroftheyear.co.uk), at the Grand Final, and is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 8 December from 7pm and televised on BBC Four on Friday 12 December, 7.30pm.

The event was hosted by Aled Jones and Josie d'Arby and took place at Royal Festival Hall on London's Southbank on Sunday 7 December 2008. BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year is the UK's largest amateur singing competition.

The Royal Festival Hall erupted with shouts and cheers as BBC Radio 3 Controller Roger Wright made the announcement to over 2000 people, with many of the audience visibly moved by the young children's achievement.

The competition was judged by a distinguished panel of musical experts including, Suzi Digby; Paul Gladstone Reid; Howard Goodall; Mary King and Vasily Petrenko.

Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir impressed the judges with their performance, which was a series of linked pieces accompanied by mimed narrative. As Sue Hollingworth, the Musical Director explained at the start of the performance "It is the winter of 1608, times were hard and the Lord of the Manor has invited everyone to a party to cheer them up with music and dancing." They sang Hey Ho! Nobody at Home (Thomas Ravencroft), Strike It Up Tabor (Thomas Weelkes), Cum Decore (Michael Praetorius arr Tielman Susato), Ah Robyn (William Cornysh) and Gaudette (trad).

Sue Hollingworth was clearly thrilled to scoop the most coveted prize in choral music, having being through a yearlong process including sending in an audition tape, a regional selection day, a National selection stage, a Category Finals weekend and the Grand Final "It feels utterly fantastic for all the children, all the people back home in Scunthorpe and all the past members of Scunthorpe Co-operative. It's been truly amazing!"

Scunthorpe Co-operative Community Choir has almost one hundred members aged nine to nineteen and were the largest choir in the competition. They were named BBC Radio 3 Open Choir of the Year at last month's hugely successful Category Finals weekend in Liverpool, part of the city's European Capital of Culture celebrations. Twenty-four choirs competed in the Category Finals across Adult, Children's, Youth and Open categories, producing four winner and three wildcards who competed at the Grand Final.

Roger Wright, Controller Radio 3 and Director, BBC proms said, "Today we have seen the very best choral and group singing in the UK. These groups show the potential singing can release in us all, the confidence it provides and the sheer enjoyment it brings to all ages. The competition provides the opportunity for singing groups from communities across the UK to sing, perform and learn together. It sets the standard, helps choirs develop and provides opportunities for performance not previously available. I congratulate all the finalists, in particular the winners Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir."

The Grand Final is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 8 from 7 - 9.15pm and televised on BBC Four on Friday 12th December at 7.30pm

For full information about the competition, please visit www.choiroftheyear.co.uk

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For high resolution images please visit the Choir of the Year media centre contact Emma Macorison at Kallaway or visit http://www.choiroftheyear.co.uk/media-centre.asp or

Kallaway
Emma Macorison
020 7221 7883
emma.macorison@kallaway.co.uk

or

BBC Radio 3
Victoria Bevan
020 7765 5887
victoria.bevan@bbc.co.uk

About BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year - www.choiroftheyear.co.uk
BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year encompasses a vast array of musical styles and types of singing from barbershop and gospel to pop, musical theatre and World music. More than 5,000 singers from communities all over the country took part in regional auditions, ensuring the competition reflects the rich diversity of music-making in the UK. Choirs receive live feedback from the expert judges as soon as they have performed.

Categories
	Open Choirs - a new category open to all choirs and singing groups from any musical background. There are no upper or lower age limits in this category and it's ideal for singing groups who want to so something different - maybe songs from the shows, songs from the charts or world music - and for choirs who feel they don't fit the other categories.
	Children's Choirs - Majority of singers 14 and under.
	Youth Choirs - Majority of singers 18 and under.
	Adult Choirs - Same or mixed voices.

Sing Up and Choir of the Year – Taking the Stage
Taking the Stage encourages young singers to be creative with their voices and perform with confidence. Sing Up is the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme, produced by Youth Music with AMV-BBDO, Faber Music and The Sage Gateshead, supported by Government. It aims to raise the status of singing and increase opportunities for primary school children throughout the country to enjoy singing as part of their everyday lives.

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