Eurovision Choir
Eurovision Choir is an international choral competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in partnership with the Interkultur Foundation, featuring amateur choirs from EBU member countries who perform unaccompanied vocal selections to showcase diverse European choral traditions, languages, and the art of singing.[1][2] Launched as part of the broader Eurovision family of events, the competition debuted on July 22, 2017, at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, with nine participating choirs judged by an international panel including conductors and composers.[3][4] The inaugural winner was the Slovenian choir Carmen Manet, selected for their compelling performance of a six-minute program that highlighted emotional depth and technical precision, earning them a recording contract as the top prize.[5][6] The second edition occurred on August 3, 2019, at the Partille Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden, integrated with the opening ceremony of the European Choir Games, and featured ten choirs competing in a similar format before a jury comprising experts like composer John Rutter and conductor Katarina Henryson.[1][7] Denmark's Vocal Line emerged victorious, praised for their innovative and harmonious delivery, which advanced them to the World Choir Games.[8][9] Plans for a third edition in 2021 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the indefinite postponement of the 2023 contest amid ongoing challenges.[10][11] In October 2024, the EBU confirmed that Eurovision Choir would not return in 2025, leaving its future uncertain despite earlier hopes from partners like Interkultur for revival.[12][13] Broadcast live on public service channels across Europe and emphasizing inclusivity and cultural exchange, the event has highlighted the power of choral music to unite audiences through non-professional vocal ensembles.[14][15]History
Origins and development
The concept for Eurovision Choir emerged as a collaborative effort between the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Interkultur Foundation, inspired by the latter's World Choir Games, a global choral competition that has promoted amateur singing since 2001. Initial discussions between the two organizations began in 2014, aiming to create a televised choral event that would expand the reach of choral music within the Eurovision family of events, drawing parallels to the Eurovision Song Contest as a choral counterpart.[16] In August 2016, the EBU officially announced the partnership and project details, confirming the event's structure and participation guidelines, with the inaugural edition slated for 2017 in Riga, Latvia, as part of the 3rd European Choir Games. At this stage, the competition was named "Eurovision Choir of the Year," reflecting its annual title-awarding format, though it was envisioned as a biennial event to align with Interkultur's biennial European and World Choir Games cycles.[17][18] Interkultur, known for organizing large-scale choral events like the World Choir Games, played a pivotal role in development by providing expertise in choir selection and event logistics, while EBU representatives handled broadcasting and production standards. The partnership emphasized celebrating diverse choral traditions across Europe, with key EBU figures overseeing the integration into their portfolio of music competitions. In February 2017, the EBU issued a formal launch statement, reiterating the collaboration and confirming the name's evolution to simply "Eurovision Choir" for subsequent editions to streamline branding.[19]Editions
The inaugural edition of Eurovision Choir took place on July 22, 2017, in Riga, Latvia, marking the launch of the competition as a television talent show for amateur choirs. Nine choirs from across Europe participated, each delivering a single unaccompanied performance lasting up to six minutes, judged by an expert panel to determine the winner. The event was integrated into Interkultur's 3rd European Choir Games, fostering a celebratory atmosphere of choral unity with an opening act featuring a 600-strong massed choir conducted by host Eric Whitacre, alongside Latvian television presenter Eva Johansone.[4][20][21] The second edition occurred on August 3, 2019, in Gothenburg, Sweden, expanding participation to ten choirs and introducing a two-round format to heighten drama and allow for deeper evaluation. In the first round, all choirs performed unaccompanied sets of up to four minutes, followed by jury deliberations that selected the top three—Denmark's Vocal Line, Latvia's Babite Mixed Choir, and Slovenia's Jazzva—for a second round of three-minute performances. Hosted by broadcaster Petroc Trelawny and singer Ella Petersson, the event coincided with Interkultur's Grand Prix of Nations and European Choir Games, drawing 3,500 attendees to the Partille Arena for an uplifting atmosphere emphasizing European choral diversity, with an opening performance by the Latvian Radio Choir, and a closing massed choir rendition by all participants. A key logistical adjustment included extended jury deliberation time between rounds to facilitate the selection process.[22][15][23] Subsequent editions faced disruptions, with the planned 2021 competition canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, postponing any further development indefinitely at the time. The intended 2023 edition, slated for Latvia, was also officially canceled by the European Broadcasting Union, amid challenges including financial constraints and limited broadcaster interest.[10][11][12]Format and rules
Competition structure
The Eurovision Choir competition is open exclusively to amateur, non-professional choirs, ensuring that participants are vocal ensembles without paid performers. Eligible choirs consist of 8 to 45 singers. All performances must be delivered a cappella, without instrumental accompaniment, and are strictly limited to a maximum of six minutes per set, allowing choirs to showcase their vocal precision and harmony within a concise timeframe.[14][24] Song selection emphasizes originality and cultural depth, permitting choirs to perform original compositions or traditional pieces in any language. In the 2017 edition, performances were required to incorporate national or regional influences to highlight diverse choral traditions across Europe. Subsequent editions allowed any genre.[25][1] In its inaugural 2017 edition, held as the Eurovision Choir of the Year in Riga, Latvia, the competition followed a single-round format where all nine participating choirs performed sequentially, followed by immediate deliberation from an expert jury to determine the winner without additional stages.[24][26] The 2019 edition in Gothenburg, Sweden, evolved the structure to include a first round for all ten entrants, each delivering a four-minute a cappella set, after which the jury selected the top three choirs to advance to a second round for additional three-minute performances, enhancing dramatic progression before announcing the overall victor.[27][1] Winners receive a custom-designed trophy that embodies the spirit of choral unity, crafted to symbolize the collaborative essence of ensemble singing across Europe's diverse vocal traditions.Judging and voting
The judging panel for Eurovision Choir consists of three international experts in choral music, including conductors, composers, and performers, selected by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Interkultur to ensure impartiality and diverse perspectives.[1] For instance, in the 2017 edition, the jury comprised British composer and conductor John Rutter, Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, and Swiss conductor Nicolas Fink; Rutter returned for the 2019 edition alongside Swedish a cappella artist Katarina Henryson and American vocal producer Deke Sharon.[3][28] Performances are assessed by the jury based on criteria including intonation (pitch precision), sound quality (tone, blend, and balance), interpretation (artistic expression and style), technique (rhythmic accuracy and control), and overall impression (cohesion and impact). Scores from the panel are averaged to determine rankings, prioritizing technical proficiency alongside expressive and unified delivery.[29] Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision Choir features no public voting; outcomes rely entirely on the jury's consensus, with results announced live after private deliberations to maintain focus on artistic merit.[1][2] Starting with the 2019 edition, a second performance round was added for the top three choirs from the initial evaluation, each delivering an additional three-minute performance, after which the jury selected the winner.[1][8] Transparency is emphasized through live broadcast of juror comments following each performance, providing immediate feedback on strengths and areas for improvement, while full post-event critiques and score details are published on official platforms.[1][30]Participation
Eligibility and selection
The Eurovision Choir is open exclusively to non-professional amateur choirs from countries served by active member broadcasters of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).[14] These choirs must consist of 8 to 45 singers, with no paid professionals among the members, emphasizing community-based and volunteer ensembles rather than commercial groups.[14] There is no strict universal age limit imposed by the EBU, though national selections often set minimum ages around 16 years to align with amateur and youth choral traditions.[14] Each participating broadcaster or affiliated choral organization is responsible for selecting a single choir to represent their country, typically through internal auditions, national competitions, or established choral festivals.[14] For example, Wales selects its entry via the annual Côr Cymru competition, where choirs compete in categories such as mixed voice or youth ensembles before the winner advances. Selected choirs are not required to have prior international victories but must prepare an original unaccompanied performance program of approximately 4 minutes, drawing from any genre to showcase their artistic interpretation.[14] Participation has occasionally involved withdrawals due to broadcaster decisions or logistical challenges, such as Estonia's ERR opting out ahead of the 2019 edition and France's late withdrawal by France Télévisions just months before the event.[31][32] Conversely, debuts have introduced fresh participants, including Norway and Switzerland in 2019, expanding the competition's diversity.[22] The Interkultur Foundation collaborates with the EBU to organize the event, leveraging its expertise in international choral competitions to verify amateur status compliance and offer preparatory workshops for selected choirs.[19][18] This partnership ensures high artistic standards while promoting global choral exchange within the framework of the European Choir Games.[19]Participating countries
The Eurovision Choir competition, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has seen limited but consistent participation from EBU member broadcasters, with only two editions held to date: the inaugural event in 2017 and the second in 2019.[4][22] Participation is restricted to non-professional choirs selected by national broadcasters, reflecting the event's focus on amateur choral traditions within Europe.[2] Across these editions, a total of 13 unique countries or regions have taken part, primarily from Northern and Western Europe, with some representation from Central and Baltic states.[33] In the 2017 edition, hosted by Latvia in Riga, nine countries participated, marking their debuts in the competition.[4] The participating nations were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia (as host), Slovenia, and Wales.[4]| Country/Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Austria | ORF |
| Belgium | RTBF |
| Denmark | DR |
| Estonia | ERR |
| Germany | WDR |
| Hungary | MTVA |
| Latvia | LTV |
| Slovenia | RTV SLO |
| Wales | S4C |
| Country/Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Belgium | RTBF |
| Denmark | DR |
| Germany | WDR |
| Latvia | LTV |
| Norway | NRK |
| Scotland | BBC Alba |
| Slovenia | RTV SLO |
| Sweden | SVT |
| Switzerland | SRG SSR |
| Wales | S4C |