Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion will fly out to Gothenburg in Sweden in August to represent Wales in the 2019 Eurovision Choir competition after winning the S4C Côr Cymru 2019 choral prize.
The choir, conducted by musical director Islwyn Evans, triumphed on Sunday 7 April at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, in an evening presented live on S4C by comperes Heledd Cynwal and Morgan Jones.
As well as the elegant trophy, the choir received a cash prize of £5,000.
Islwyn Evans has now won the competition six times with different choirs. He said, "It may be a familiar experience for me but this choir is a new group. It's been a competition and a half. I was at the back listening and all the choirs had raised their game and that is a great compliment to the musical directors. I would like to thank the audience. We had a great buzz performing on this stage, and we have a lot of happy bunnies in this choir."
Côr Sioe Ieuenctid Môn, the show choir from Anglesey, won the Viewers' Choice award while their musical director Mari Pritchard won the Conductor Award.
Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion, Johns' Boys from Rhosllannerchrugog, CF1 from Cardiff, Côr Ieuenctid Môn and Côr Sioe Ieuenctid Môn, both of Anglesey, were the five choirs who went head to head in a competition highly praised by the adjudicators.
Llandeilo town also had reasons to celebrate after Ysgol Gymraeg Teilo Sant won the Côr Cymru Primary School trophy on Saturday 6 April on the Great Hall stage, Aberystwyth.
The primary school choir from Carmarthenshire beat Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llwyncelyn, Porth, Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech and Ysgol Pen Barras, Ruthin to lift the trophy.
Choir musical director Nia Clwyd was over the moon with the success; "First and foremost, I would like to thank the pupils of Ysgol Gymraeg Teilo Sant - a lively, committed group of characters who enjoy singing and performing. It is a pleasure to be part of this team, which also includes the headteacher, staff and parents of the pupils. The support and willingness to work together led to success. Thank you.
"The aim now is to focus on the Urdd Eisteddfod which is now on the horizon and all those opportunities that this festival offers to our youth. I feel privileged to work with children and young people, and despite the odd grey hair, they do keep me young!"
There were three internationally acclaimed adjudicators judging the competition and choosing the winners, Polish choral conductor and lecturer Anna Wilczewska, Huw Humphreys, Head of Music at the Barbican Centre, London, Karmina Šilec, Fellow of Havard University, Leader and Director of Slovenia.
Côr Cymru has become one of the highlights of the competitive singing calendar in Wales since the competition was launched in 2003. Previous winners are Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion (2003 and 2009), Serendipity (2005), Cywair (2007 and 2011), Côr y Wiber (2013), Côr Heol y March (2015) and Côr Merched Sir Gâr (2017).
2017 was the first time that the Côr Cymru winner represented Wales in the Eurovision Choir competition and Côr Merched Sir Gâr came second.
S4C has just announced that the channel will be running a competition for the second year running to select a young star to represent Wales at the 2019 Junior Eurovision competition.
Award-winning TV company Rondo Media is responsible for the Cor Cymru and Eurovision programmes for S4C.
