Let the Peoples Sing (known until 1964 as Let the People Sing) is an international choral competition currently organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The final, encompassing three categories and around ten choirs, is offered as a live broadcast to all EBU members. The Silver Rose Bowl is awarded to the best choir in the competition.
History The competition was first organised by BBC Radio in 1957, originally as a national contest for amateur British choirs under the title Let the People Sing, and ran until 1982 as a weekly series each year. The final round of the first competition was broadcast in the Light Programme on 23 April 1957 and was followed four days later by a special concert relayed from the Royal Albert Hall. In the two subsequent years (1958–59) the final concert was held at the Royal Festival Hall. The contest also led to new choral works being commissioned.
In 1965 the annual competition became an international one, with participation extended to include choirs from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. It was further extended in the 1970s with entrants also coming from other countries with radio networks belonging to the EBU, each of the networks organising the national qualifying rounds leading to the international finals. Broadcasters submitted tapes of the choirs which they entered, and these were then listened to and evaluated by the professional jury who decided the winners in each category. There was no broadcast of the entire competition at this time. In 1993, the Euroradio-networked choral competition moved to a biennial schedule, held in the autumn of odd-numbered years. In 1995, at the initiative of Danish Radio, it was decided that while recordings would continue to be used for the preliminary rounds, however the finals should be hosted as a live radio event. These were broadcast via the Union's Euroradio satellite network, with the choirs performing in their home cities to listeners across Europe and to the jury. Since 2001, the finalists have been invited to perform at a concert by the host broadcaster. The competition has become more or less a festival with many more concerts and a supporting workshop program.
After the 1982 competition, the BBC ceased broadcasting the national selection and international heats, and for a number of years aired only the final round. The BBC had hosted the international finals since its inception. In 1983, Germany's national public radio broadcaster Deutschlandradio hosted the final round, they were later joined as host by Finnish broadcaster Yle from 1987; both took over the organisation of the competition held on an alternating basis in Cologne and Helsinki respectively. The 1991 competition finals was the last to be held in Finland until 2017.
In 1984, BBC Two broadcast a new national competition in association with Sainsbury's supermarket; Choir of the Year ran every two years until 2002, however after Sainsbury's sponsorship ended that year, it was taken over by BBC Radio 3 (supported by Arts Council England and Sing Up) in 2005 where it continued until 2016. BBC Four aired highlights of the final. The winning choir often proceeded to represent the UK at the international Let the Peoples Sing competition.
Since the late 1990s, Radio 3's broadcast of Let the Peoples Sing has moved away from the main evening concert (except when hosting in 2011), towards coverage in specific choral programmes such as Performance on 3 (1999, 2003), Choirworks (2001–2003), Choir and Organ (2007–2011), The Choir (2009, 2013–2015) and since 2017, Through the Night. BBC Radio 3 hosted the 2001 and 2003 competitions live from the Queen Elizabeth Hall, in London and the 2011 edition was staged at the new MediaCityUK studios in Salford, Greater Manchester.
In 2019, the competition took place in Spain for the first time and was hosted by Catalunya Ràdio, at the 2,049-seat Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona on 13 October. The previous competition, hosted by Finnish broadcaster Yle, took place at the Helsinki Music Centre on 15 October 2017. German radio station BR-Klassik hosted the 2015 edition in Munich at the Funkhaus studios. Luxembourg’s Philharmonic Hall was the host venue in 2013.
In November 2021, the 60th anniversary was celebrated with the BBC Singers performing a dedicated concert at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, in London that was later broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and many other EBU radio stations. The next competition took place on 6 October 2024 with the competing choirs, selected for the final concert, performing from their home countries. The winner was decided by an eight-member jury panel who voted from the BBC's Broadcasting House in London. For the first time, a youth jury prize was awarded in collaboration with the European Choral Association.
Categories The competition has three categories, with a winner selected in each category in addition to the overall winner of the Silver Rose Bowl. Children and Youth (no members over age 25) Adult (any age) Open, for choruses who perform music of particular cultural traditions or styles (e.g. folksong, gospel, barbershop, jazz, traditional music, etc.)
List of winners By competition + Let the Peoples Sing – Winners of the Silver Rose Bowl (since 1961) YearChoirChorus Master Country of origin Host city 1961 Glasgow Phoenix Choir Peter Mooney London 1962 Barrhead Philomen Singers Mina Forrest 1963 Orpington Junior Singers Sheila Mossman MBE 1964 Redhill Madrigal Singers Joyce Hooper 1965 Glasgow Phoenix Choir Peter Mooney 1966 Orphei Drängar Eric Ericson 1967 Orphei Drängar Eric Ericson 1968 Rodna Pessen Michel Milkov 1969 Mariakören Västerås Bror Samuelsson 1970 Louis Halsey Singers Louis Halsey 1971 Tapiolan Yhteiskoulun Kuoro Erkki Pohjola 1972 NRK Jentekor Marie Foss 1973 Gara Iskar Cultural Center Chorus Ifjúsági Egyetemi Chorus Rezső Lantos 1974 ELTE Béla Bartók Chorus Gábor Baross 1975 NRK Jentekor Marie Foss 1976 Ontario Youth Choir Jon Washburn 1977 Veszprém Város Vegyeskara István Zámbó 1978 Franz Liszt Chamber Chorus István Párkai 1979 Exeter College Choir Marktoberdorf Large Chamber Choir 1980 Candomino Tauno Satomaa Váci Vox Humana József Maklári 1981 NRK Studio Chorus Marie Foss 1982 Stockholm Motet Choir Per Borin 1983 "Júlia Bányai" Elementary School Choir Katalin Weiser-Kiss Cologne 1984 Frankfurt Chamber Chorus Hans Michael Beuerle 1985 Bergen Cathedral Choir Magnar Mangersnes 1986 Gösta Ohlin Vocal Ensemble Gösta Ohlin 1987 Chamber Chorus of the Franz Liszt Music Academy, Weimar Gerd Frischmuth Helsinki Hollabrunn Chamber Chorus Herbert Böck 1988 Bergen Cathedral Choir Magnar Mangersnes Cologne 1989 Phoenix Chamber Choir Cortland Hultberg Helsinki 1990 Jubilate Astrid Riska Cologne Konzertchor Darmstadt Wolfgang Seeliger 1991 Balsis Māris Kupčs and Kaspars Putniņš Helsinki 1992 New Zealand National Youth Choir Karen Grylls Cologne 1993 Universitetskoret Lille MUKO Jesper Grove Jørgensen Vancouver 1995 Det Norske Solistkor Grete Helgerud Manchester 1997 Det Jyske Kammerkor Mogens Dahl Brussels 1999 Embla Norunn Illevold Giske Budapest 2001 Choir of the Latvian Music Academy Arvīds Platpers London 2003 Pro Musica Dénes Szabó 2005 Children's Chorus of the Tallinn Music High School Ingrid Kõrvits Cologne 2007 Schola Cantorum Tone Bianca Dahl Wuppertal 2009 Girls' Choir of the Classical Diocesan Gymnasium Helena Fojkar Zupančič Oslo 2011 The Swedish Chamber Choir Simon Phipps Salford 2013 Cor Infantil Amics de la Unió de Granollers Josep Vila i Jover Luxembourg City 2015 Aarhus Girls' Choir Helle Høyer Vedel Munich 2017 Collegium Musicale Endrik Üksvärav Helsinki 2019 Barbaros Jonas Rasmussen Barcelona 2021 colspan="4" 2024 Copenhagen Girls Choir Anne-Terese Sales London (jury voting)
In 1973, 1979, 1980, 1987, and 1990 the Silver Rose Bowl was awarded ex aequo.
In 2015 the Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) became the first American choir to place first in the competition's history of 54 years. After Sunday's competition performances among YPC, the Aarhus Girls' Choir from Denmark and the Romanian Radio Children's Choir, the judges named the Danish choir the winner. However, on Monday morning, the judges rethought their initial decision and determined that the American chorus should tie with the Danish choir for first place in the Children's and Youth category. However, the Aarhus Girls' Choir ultimately prevailed in the finals of the competition.
By country The table below shows the years that a country won the Silver Rose Bowl. Country Wins Years won Norway8 Hungary7 Sweden6 Denmark5 England4 Germany4 Scotland3 Finland3 Bulgaria2 Canada2 Latvia2 Estonia2 Austria1 New Zealand1 Slovenia1 Spain1
Years in italics indicate joint wins (ex aequo)
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