St Mary's aim for place in Choir final

The fifth programme, on Sunday, April 2 on BBC Radio Ulster at 2pm, is hosted by Kerry McLean from St Ciaran’s College, Ballygawley, and features 10 choirs all vying for a place in the grand final.

Presented by John Toal and Kerry McLean, BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of The Year is recorded at seven venues across Northern Ireland and culminates in a live final from the Ulster Hall, Belfast, on Sunday, April 30.

Competing in the Junior category in this fifth programme are: Buick Memorial Primary School, Ballymena; St Joseph’s Primary School, Crumlin; St Bernard’s Primary School, Belfast; Holy Family Primary School, Omagh, and St Mary’s Primary School, Draperstown.

In the Senior category, the following schools will be competing for a place in the final: Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock, Belfast; Loreto Grammar School, Omagh; St Mary’s High School, Downpatrick; Hunter House College, Belfast and Ballyclare High School.

They will be performing for judges Richard Yarr, Senior Classical Music Producer with BBC Northern Ireland; Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music with The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Rebekah Coffey, Soprano and Ulster Youth Choir coach.

BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of the Year is produced in association with the Ulster Youth Choir, and supported by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland (ACNI).

Fergus Keeling, Head of Radio, BBC Northern Ireland said: “At BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle we are dedicated to providing our listeners with the best music, and nurturing new talent is something we are extremely passionate about. We are delighted once again to be involved in finding some of the best young choirs in Northern Ireland and helping our listeners follow their exciting journey towards the live grand final in the Ulster Hall.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “The Arts Council is delighted to support the third year of School Choir of the Year. It offers a fantastic opportunity for schools to engage and participate in high-quality arts, nurturing a love of music and developing untapped talent in our young people.”