Les Sirènes, a female choir from Glasgow, has been crowned Choir of the Year 2012 in a final held in the Royal Festival Hall, London on 28 October.
The competition, which is held every two years, saw 138 singing groups whittled down through regional heats, to six finalists.
The other five choirs in the final were: children’s category winner Lindley Junior School Choir, adult category winner Surrey Hills Chamber Choir, youth category winner Methodist College Girls’ Choir, open category winner Oxford Gargoyles and Ysgol Glanaethwy Senior Choir who went through as a wildcard entry.
Les Sirènes, who also went through as a wildcard entry, is made up of 22 singers who are students or recent graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The choir is led by Andrew Nunn, who is also a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
‘The fact we’ve won is just fantastic,’ said Aileen Saunders from Les Sirènes. ‘I feel very emotional because we’ve worked so hard for it and also because we’re such close friends.’
The competition was judged by West End actress and singer Ruthie Henshall, associate music director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Greg Beardsell, and vocal coach Mary King.
The Choir of the Year final will be broadcast on BBC Four on 13 November and on Radio 3’s programme The Choir on 11 November.
The competition has been running since 1984 and is open to amateur choirs singing in any style.