Presentation Secondary School, Ballyphehane in Cork City were tonight crowned the winners of the All Island School Choir Competition.
Choir Director: Anne Dunphy said: “We are absolutely delighted! The school will be so proud, as will the whole of Cork! Congratulations to all the girls who worked so hard to make tonight such a success”.
Peter Sheridan, Chief Executive of Co-operation Ireland, organisers of the competition, said: “Co-operation Ireland recognises the importance of promoting tolerance, respect and friendship among young people of different races, faiths and cultures across the island. What better way of doing that than through music and song with the next generation?”
RTÉ’s Northern Editor Tommie Gorman and the competition's executive producer said that it was “a fantastic night for all the choirs who competed here in Belfast tonight and for all the choirs from North and South of the country who entered the competition.
"It’s a great night for music and we’re delighted to have broadcast it over the last month and shown it live tonight”.
This is the 2nd annual All-Island School Choir Competition and was broadcast live from the Waterfront in Belfast.
Presentation College received a trophy and a cheque for £5,000 and the three other choirs in the Final received £1,000 each.
The four finalists were chosen at regional finals in Cork, Castlebar, Navan and Armagh which were broadcast on RTÉ over the last four weeks.
The competition, presented by Anne Cassin, was designed to encourage the tradition of school choirs in second level institutions throughout the island. The inaugural competition last year was won by Methodist College, Belfast.
The adjudicators for this year’s competition were: Seamus Crimmins, Executive Director, RTÉ Performance Groups; Dr Angela Feeney, Belfast Opera singer and teacher; Brendan O’Connor, Musical Director, Cois Cladaigh Chamber Choir, Galway and Dr Geoffrey Spratt, Director, Cork School of Music and Conductor of the Fleischmann Choir.
The competition is organised by Co-operation Ireland, in association with RTÉ.
