Grosvenor Grammar School Chamber Choir – BBC NI School Choir of the Year 2020

Grosvenor’s Chamber Choir, pictured at Stranmillis University College Drama Theatre on Friday 14th February.

Congratulations to Grosvenor’s Chamber Choir which performed superbly to secure success in the final senior heat of the ‘BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of the Year’ competition, held at Stranmillis University College Drama Theatre on Friday 14th February.

On the day the Grosvenor Chamber Choir performed two memorable pieces: ‘I Will Lift Mine Eyes’, with text from Psalm 121 set to music by Jake Runestad, and a foot-tapping African American Spiritual ‘I Can Tell the World’, arranged by Moses Hogan.

To the delight of all concerned the GGS Choir, along with the choristers from St Malachy’s College, Belfast, was selected to proceed to the semi-final stage of the competition, receiving exceptionally positive feedback from the adjudicators to prevail despite the incredibly high standard of singing evident from all of the other choirs on the day, namely those from Lurgan College, Belfast High School, Hunterhouse College and Glenlola Collegiate.

The esteemed panel of adjudicators at the event included: Richard Yarr, Senior Producer with BBC Northern Ireland’s Classical Music Department; Ciaran Scullion, Head of the Arts Council for Northern Ireland; Lynsey Callaghan, Artistic Director of the Belfast Philharmonic Youth and Chamber Choirs and George Hutton, singer/songwriter, who has toured the world with the Five Irish Tenors. 

Well done to each and every member of the GGS Chamber Choir on their success at this year’s event – they were highly motivated throughout the process, working tirelessly to ensure the highest possible standard of performance, with its Year 14 members, in the final year of their schooling, deserving of particular praise for the manner in which they set an outstanding example to their younger counterparts.

Understandably due to recent global events, this year’s ‘BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of the Year’ competition has, like so many other events, been cancelled for this year, meaning that Grosvenor’s pupils will unfortunately be deprived of the opportunity to display their talents on a wider stage.

Nevertheless, despite this disappointment, all pupils and staff members associated with the Grosvenor Chamber Choir should take great satisfaction from the way in which they have, once again, managed to maintain and even enhance the School’s already outstanding musical reputation.

We look forward to reporting on many more Grosvenor-related musical successes in 2021!