Dalriada School in semi-final of BBC School Choir Of The Year

Dalriada School in Ballymoney is the first school to win a place in the semi-finals of the BBC Northern Ireland School Choir Of The Year, which will take place at Regent House Grammar School, Newtownards.

Over the course of nine weeks, 63 choirs from across Northern Ireland will be singing to impress as they battle it out for a place in the final of the BBC Northern Ireland School Choir Of The Year.

Presented by John Toal and Kerry McLean, the series is recorded at eight venues across Northern Ireland.

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The series will culminate in a live final from the Ulster Hall, Belfast, on Sunday, April 7, and which will also be recorded for the first time for BBC NI television.

Competing for a place in the final in the first round recorded at Thornhill College, Londonderry, with presenter John Toal, in the Junior section were: Ebrington Primary School; Broadbridge Primary School, Londonderry; St Mary’s Primary, Draperstown; Fairview Primary, Ballyclare; Portrush Primary and St Matthew’s Primary School, Limavady.

In the Senior category, the schools competing for a place in the grand final were: Dalriada School, Ballymoney; St Cecilia’s College, Londonderry, and St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt.

It was Ebrington Primary School (junior category) and Dalriada School, Ballymoney (senior category) who impressed the judging panel, made up of Richard Yarr, Senior Producer Classical Music, BBC Radio Ulster; Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, Arts Council for Northern Ireland and Rebekah Coffey, soprano and vocal coach.

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BBC Northern Ireland School Choir of the Year is produced in association with the Ulster Youth Choir, and supported by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland (ACNI).

The winning choirs will feature across a range of programming and events during this year.

If you missed the programme, catch it again via the BBC Sounds app. And for additional content check out Twitter #SCOTY and pictures go to: bbc.co.uk/scoty