20 January 2009
You can enjoy a feast of singing at The Great Hall, Aberystwyth Arts Centre on the last weekend of February when the semi-finals of S4C’s prestigious Côr Cymru 20o9 choral competition come to town.
The five semi-finals will be staged at The Great Hall on February 20-22 with one victorious choir from each of the five categories going on to the final on Sunday, 5 April.
Tickets for the five semi-finals are free and available by contacting TV company Rondo Media on 029 2022 3456 or by emailing them on corcymru@rondomedia.co.uk.
The five semi-finals will be broadcast on S4C and S4C’s digital service, S4C digidol during March, along with the final which will be shown live.
Producer Gwawr Owen of Rondo Media said, “The semi-final weekend is a very special. Aberystwyth’s Great Hall is a wonderful stage for the choirs and the atmosphere there is always electric.
“One additional advantage for all those who attend the semi-finals is that they will be given priority when applying for tickets for the final on 5 April.”
There is much at stake for the 18 choirs taking part, as each choir that wins its category receives £2,000 and the opportunity to compete against four other choirs for the Côr Cymru 2009 title and an additional £5,000 cash prize.
It’s the Youth Choirs that will battle it out in the Friday night semi-final at 8.00pm on 20 February with Cardiff’s Côr Aelwyd y Waun Ddyfal, Côr y Drindod from Trinity College, Carmarthen, Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion and the Four Counties Choir from Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Conwy competing in the evening showdown.
There are two semi-finals on Saturday, 21 February with the Children’s Choirs competing from 2.00pm and the Girls’ Choirs at 8.00pm.
The line-up for the Children’s Choirs category is Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion, Ysgol y Strade, Llanelli, Côr Llanofer of Cwmbrân, and Bangor-based, Côr Iau Glanaethwy. Cantata from Llanelli, Lewis Girls’ Choir of Ystrad Mynach and Flintshire Senior County Choir make up the Ladies’ Choirs category.
There’s a double choral treat on Sunday, 22 February with the Mixed Choirs striking the opening notes at 2.oopm when Côrdydd and Côr CF1, both from Cardiff, Tempus from Pembrokeshire and Côr Eifionydd of Gwynedd sing it out. Then, at 8.00pm, the Male Voice Choirs battle it out with Carmarthenshire choir Bois y Castell, Flint Male Voice Choir and Cardiff-based Bechgyn Bro Tâf going head-to-head.
An international panel of adjudicators will decide which choirs will proceed to the final – but the identity of the panel will not be revealed until the semi-final weekend.
This is the fourth S4C Côr Cymru competition; previous winners are Côr Cywair (2007), Serendipity (2005) and Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion (2003).
