Britain’s most successful young choir is set for another TV appearance this weekend.
Lindley Junior School Choir appears in the BBC’s Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year Final on Sunday.
Led by Alison North, the young choristers have an unparalleled track record.
They won the Songs of Praise national junior title in 2008, were semi-finalists in 2012 and have reached the final for the last two years, being narrowly pipped for last year by Welsh choir Ysgol Iolo Morganwg.
However, they redressed the balance last July by winning the junior choir title at the International Eisteddfod Festival at Llangollen.
This year’s Songs of Praise Final was filmed at the Albert Hall, Nottingham, in March, when the choir were supported by numbers of enthusiastic parents.
The Lindley choir sang Howard Goodall’s The Lord is My Shepherd in the final and soloist was 11-year-old Sam Mindham.
They were up against strong competition from Queen’s Young Voices from Chester and Ysgol Iau Llangennech from Llanelli.
This year’s new judging panel comprises JB Gill, from boy band JLS; vocal coach and opera singer Yvie Burnett from The Voice UK, and Tim Rhys-Evans, founder of Welsh male voice choirs Only Men Aloud and Only Boys Aloud.
To date around 45,000 young singers have entered the BBC’s School Choir of the Year competition.
Alison cannot reveal the results, but thought the choir was in great voice: “It was a terrific performance,” she said. “The children didn’t put a foot wrong and Sam was wonderful.
“We had a fantastic day, it is a fabulous occasion and really memorable for all the children.
“We also had tremendous support from parents, they came with banners and cheered us on.”
BBC’s Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year Final is on BBC1 at 4.50pm this Sunday.
