Category : Factual
& Arts TV
Date : 14.03.2004
Printable version
Two schools
from Northern Ireland have won top accolades in the Songs of Praise
School Choirs Contest.
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The Chapel Choir of Methodist College, Belfast
was named Songs of Praise Senior School Choir of the Year and Waringstown
Primary School, Craigavon, claimed the junior title.
The choirs faced celebrity judges Pete Waterman and Carrie
Grant in a competition held at Birmingham's Symphony Hall.
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Pop producer Pete and Carrie, vocal coach for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's
Fame Academy, were joined by fellow judge Malcolm Archer, Master
of the Choirs at Wells Cathedral in the search for the best school choirs
in the UK.
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The winning schools each take home a trophy and Β£1,000
in prize money.
Vocal coach Carrie was impressed by the standard of singing.
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"They are so passionate, so committed," she
said.
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"You can tell through the harmonies and the blend
of the voices that people were not just singing, but taking notice of
how they do it. They have really done their homework!
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"I think hymns are very important for kids to be
singing. I think the lyrics are very important. I was looking for people
who not just sing technically well, but actually really know the meaning
of the words."
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Pete Waterman said: "They
were outstanding. I love seeing people genuinely passionate about what
they do. A choir has got to be one voice, a unity."
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Malcolm Archer says: "Songs of Praise Celebrate
is introducing young singers to hymns. In many
schools now they don't get the opportunity to sing hymns.
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"For the festival they are learning these fantastic
tunes which are great inspirational pieces of music and it's bound to
encourage them to want to sing more in future."
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The aim of the annual competition is to introduce new
generations to the pleasure of singing, to breathe new life into classic
hymns and songs, and to showcase some of the UK's best young singers.
The schools sent in audio tapes of their choir's performance to the
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.
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Songs of Praise producers then visited the short-listed
schools to hold workshops and give musical advice on the hymns.
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Six school choirs made it through to the final performance
at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ONE's Songs of Praise
today (Sunday 14 March).
