The first edition of the Eurovision Choir of the Year was held last weekend in Riga, the capital of Latvia. 9 countries took part in this brand new event of the Eurovision Family which was won by Carmen Manet from Slovenia.
The Slovenian ensemble, made up of female voices, performed three compositions, “Ta na Solbici”, “Adrca” and “Aj, zelena je vsa gora”. You can watch their act below:
https://youtu.be/yAQJrtpK-0s
Each participating country was given up to 6 minutes to perform in front of a three-person jury panel, which was responsible for selecting the winner. The panel of experts was made up of mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča (Latvia), composer John Rutter (United Kingdom) and orchestra conductor Nicolas Fink (Switzerland).
The songs each choir performed could include one or several pieces which reflected their respective national or regional character in some way. You can find the list of participants and the songs they performed below:
| Country | Choir | Song(s) |
 Estonia |
Estonian TV Girls’ Choir | “Absolute Tormis” |
 Denmark |
Academic Choir of Aarhus | “I Seraillets Have” “Wiigen-Lied” |
 Belgium |
Les Pastoreaux | “Dans la troupe” “Ensemble” |
 Germany |
Jazzchor Freiburg | “African Call” “Palettes” |
 Slovenia |
Carmen Manet | “Ta na Solbici” “Adrca” “Aj, zelena je vsa gora” |
 Hungary |
Bela Bartok Male Choir | “Karádi nóták” |
 Wales |
Côr Merched Sir Gâr | “O, Mountain, O” “Traditional Welsh Lullaby” “Wade in the Water” |
 Austria |
Hardchor Linz | “Ave Maria” “I tua wos i wü” “Rah” |
 Latvia |
Spīgo | “Grezna saule debesīs” “Es čigāna meita biju” |
This was the first time Wales took part in a Eurovision Family of Events production. Moreover, three non-participating countries announced they would broadcast the contest, Albania, France and Serbia.
After the competition, the top three was revealed by the organisers:
- Slovenia
- Wales
- Latvia
About the Eurovision Choir of the Year:
The Eurovision Choir Of The Year was conceived in partnership between Interkultur – the organisers of the World and European Choir Games – and the European Broadcasting Union – the organisers of, amongst others, the Eurovision Song Contest – and with the commitment of Latvian Television (LTV) as Host Broadcaster and LIVE RĪGA.
The World and European Choir Games are the most prominent international competitions for amateur choirs, and the EBU has reached an agreement to integrate a new recurring Eurovision competition into the event, to take place on the main stage immediately before the closing ceremony, where 200 choirs will gather. This guarantees a large international audience and an electric atmosphere, following the global trend of increasingly popular a cappella music.
(Source: eurovision.tv)
You can watch the Eurovision Choir Of The Year 2017, hosted by Eric Whitacre and Eva Johansone, below:
https://youtu.be/Ttk47ikd8ug
The next edition of the Eurovision Choir of the Year is expected to take place in 2019, as Eurovision Young Musicians and Eurovision Young Dancers.
Did you like the newest addition to the Eurovision Family of Events? What do you think about the winner? Let us know in comments!