Côr Cymru

Biennal Welsh language choir contest.

Winners from five category-based heats (Male, Female, Mixed, Youth and Children) take part in a grand final for the title of best choir in the Land of My Fathers along with a tidy £7,000 or so.

2007 saw the introduction of an £1,000 prize for the best conductor during the series. A separate viewers' choice award was introduced four years later.

Outside Wales, interest was piqued when the 2017 winners were invited to participate in the first ever Eurovision Choir of the Year, to be held during the summer in Riga, Latvia.

2003 - Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion (youth)
2005 - Serendipity, Cardiff (mixed)
2007 - Cywair, Newcastle Emlyn (mixed)
2009 - Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion (children)
2011 - Cywair, Newcastle Emlyn (mixed)
2013 - Côr y Wiber, Newcastle Emlyn (women)
2015 - Heol y March (children)
2017 - Côr Merched Sir Gâr (youth)
2019 - Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion (youth)
2022 - Côrdydd (mixed)
2024 - Côr Ifor Bach (youth)

Best conductor award:
2007 - Mari Pritchard: Côr Ieuenctid Môn (Anglesey Youth Choir)
2009 - Sioned James: Côrdydd, Cardiff
2011 - Islwyn Evans, Cywair
2013 - Aled Phillips, Côr Meibion Rhosllannerchrugog (men)
2015 - Janet Jones, Parti Llwchwr
2017 - Eilir Owen Griffiths, CF1
2019 - Mari Pritchard, Anglesey Youth Choir

Viewers' choice award:
2011 - Cantata, Llanelli (women)
2013 - Côr y Cym (youth)
2015 - Parti Llwchwr (women)
2017 - Côr Ieuenctid Môn (children)
2019 - Côr Sioe Môn

Côr Cymru Cynradd (for primary school choirs)
2015 - Ysgol Iolo Morganwg
2017 - Ysgol Pen Barras
2019 - Ysgol Teilo Sant

The title translates as Choir of Wales.

Recorded at The Great Hall, Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Winner of the BAFTA Cymru award for Best Music and Entertainment Programme in 2013 and the Celtic Media Festival entertainment award in 2023.

The decision to axe the competition in 2025 - without any exact reason from S4C - attracted much ire from the Welsh choral community. One leading conductor, Cefin Roberts of Ysgol Glanaethwy (also of Last Choir Standing fame) told BBC Cymru Fyw that it "removed two layers of choral competition at its highest standard" from TV screens.

S4C programme page

BBC programme page

Wikipedia entry

Weaver's Week on the 2013 final.

Eurovision Choir of the Year