Eurovision Choir 2019
Eurovision Choir 2019 was the second Eurovision Choir competition for choral singers, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Interkultur. It was held on 3 August 2019, at the Partille Arena, in Partille Municipality, Metropolitan Gothenburg, Sweden.[1] The event, presented by Petroc Trelawny and Ella Petersson, was produced by Swedish host broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) together with an international team of EBU members, the European Choir Games and the City of Gothenburg.
| Eurovision Choir 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Dates | |
| Final | 3 August 2019 |
| Host | |
| Venue | Partille Arena, Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Presenter(s) | Petroc Trelawny Ella Petersson |
| Musical director | Fred Sjöberg |
| Directed by | Peter Maniura |
| Executive supervisor | Jon Ola Sand |
| Executive producer | Ieva Rozentāle |
| Host broadcaster | Sveriges Television (SVT) |
| Website | eurovisionchoir |
| Participants | |
| Number of entries | 10 |
| Debuting countries | |
| Non-returning countries | |
| |
| Vote | |
| Voting system | Jury voting by a panel of three judges to decide the winning choir |
| Winning choir | Denmark Vocal Line |
| 2017 ← Eurovision Choir → 2023 | |
Ten countries participated, including debutants Norway, Scotland, Switzerland and the hosts Sweden while Austria, Estonia and Hungary decided to withdraw. Three of the ten choirs advanced to the second round: Latvia, Denmark and Slovenia, all of which took part in the inaugural edition in 2017. Vocal Line of Denmark won the contest, with Latvia and Slovenia placing second and third respectively.[2][3]
Location
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries.
Venue
After initial reports in February 2018,[4] it was confirmed on 8 July 2018 that the second edition of the Eurovision Choir would be held in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. The proposed venue was the 14,000-seat Scandinavium arena.[1] However, on 18 December 2018, it was confirmed that Partille Arena would host the competition.
Format
Competing countries who are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are eligible to participate in Eurovision Choir. Ten countries participated at the second edition of the contest. Each competing country was represented by a professional choir, and in the first round each performed a choral piece lasting no more than four minutes in length. Each piece may include singular or several musical works or of a free genre; but must contain national or regional influence from the participating country. Three choirs are invited to perform a second, 3 minute set after which the winner is announced.
The winning choir were presented with a trophy and awarded with a trip to attend the 11th edition of the World Choir Games held in Flanders, Belgium in July 2020.[5]
Performances
The show opened with a performance by twenty one choirs from across Västra Götaland County,[6] and all ten participating choirs performed "Mamma Mia" by ABBA during the flag parade.[7] For the two intervals, the mass choir performed "Without You" by Avicii with Madelene Johansson after the first round,[8] followed by 2017 winners Carmen Manet performing alongside Bohuslän Big Band after the second.[9] At the end of the show all the choirs performed two further ABBA songs, "Dancing Queen" and "Thank You for the Music" both with Johansson.[7]
Presenters
On 5 April 2019, it was announced that British classical music radio and television broadcaster, Petroc Trelawny and Swedish culture presenter Ella Petersson would host the 2019 competition.[1] Trelawny’s career started at BBC Radio Devon in 1989 as a reporter and, since 1998, he has been a presenter at BBC Radio 3. Trelawny hosted the Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh alongside Josie D'Arby.[10] Petersson is currently the presenter of Kulturstudion on SVT2,[11] and Kulturfrågan Kontrapunkt on SVT1.[12]
Participating countries
The official list of participants was published on 18 December 2018 and included nine countries. Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Slovenia and Wales participated again after making their debuts at the inaugural edition in 2017. Norway, Scotland, host country Sweden and Switzerland took part for the first time, while Austria, Estonia and Hungary withdrew from the competition.
On 20 March 2019, it was announced that Denmark would ultimately participate for a second time, raising the number of participants to ten. Romania and France were originally announced as debut participants but were later removed from the official list published by the EBU.[1]
First round
| Draw[13] | Country[1] | Choir[1] | Song(s)[14] | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Sweden | Zero8 | "Khorumi" | Swedish |
| "Hej, dunkom så länge vi levom" | ||||
| 02 | Belgium | Almakalia | "Made in Belgium" (medley) | English, French |
| 03 | Latvia | Babīte Municipality Mixed Choir Maska | "Pērkontēvs" | Latvian, English |
| 04 | Germany | BonnVoice | "O Täler weit" | German |
| "Die Gedanken sind frei" | ||||
| 05 | Norway | Volve Vokal | "Ønskediktet" | Norwegian |
| 06 | Denmark | Vocal Line | "True North" | English |
| 07 | Scotland | Alba | "Cumha na Cloinne" | Scottish Gaelic |
| "Ach a' Mhairead" | ||||
| "Alba" | ||||
| 08 | Slovenia | Jazzva | "Spomenčice" | Slovene |
| 09 | Switzerland | Cake O’Phonie | "Chante en mon cœur" | French, Italian, Swiss German, Romansh, and Patois |
| "La sera sper il lag" | ||||
| "Poi" | ||||
| "Le ranz des vaches" | ||||
| "La ticinella" | ||||
| "Beresinaliedet" | ||||
| "Chanson d'ici" | ||||
| 10 | Wales | Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion | "Cúnla" | Irish |
| "Ar Lan y Môr" | Welsh |
Second round
Three choirs advanced to the second round and performed a second, 3 minute set, after which the winner was announced.
Conductors
The conductors for each country were as follows:[15]
- Belgium – Nicolas Dorian
- Denmark – Jens Johansen
- Germany – Tono Wissing
- Latvia – Jānis Ozols
- Norway – Gro Espedal
- Scotland – Joy Dunlop
- Slovenia – Jasna Žitnik
- Sweden – Rasmus Krigström
- Switzerland – Antoine Krattinger
- Wales – Islwyn Evans
International broadcasts and voting
Commentators
Most of the participating countries sent commentators to Gothenburg or commentated from their own country, in order to add insight to the participants.
| Country | Broadcaster(s) | Commentator(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Musiq'3, La Trois | French: Patrick Leterme | [16] |
| Denmark | DR1 | Ole Tøpholm and Philip Faber | [17] |
| Germany | WDR Fernsehen | Peter Urban | [18] |
| Latvia | LTV1 | Kristīne Komarovska and Jānis Holšteins-Upmanis | [19] |
| Norway | NRK1 (delayed); NRK Klassisk (live) | Arild Erikstad | [20][21] |
| Scotland | BBC Alba | Tony Kearney | [22] |
| Slovenia | RTV SLO1 | Igor Velše[citation needed] | [21] |
| Sweden | SVT2 | No commentary | [23] |
| Switzerland | RTS Un | French: Jean-Marc Richard and Philippe Savoy | [24][25] |
| Wales | S4C | Morgan Jones | [26] |
| Country | Broadcaster(s) | Commentator(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | France 2 (broadcast on 5 August 2020) | No commentary | [27] |
Professional jury
The winner of the contest was decided upon the votes from a professional jury, which was made up of the following:[1]
- Katarina Henryson – singer and composer, founding member of a cappella ensemble, The Real Group
- John Rutter – composer and conductor, was also a judge in 2017
- Deke Sharon – singer, director, producer, composer and arranger
The jury was asked to score on the technical skill and accuracy of the choir, the quality of their sound, their musicianship and interpretation and the communication of the piece they performed.
Other countries
- Estonia – On 16 November 2018, Estonian broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) confirmed that they would withdraw from the contest.[28]
- France – French broadcaster France Télévisions was originally announced as a debut participant but later withdrew from the competition due to logistical problems with the selected choir.[29]
- Romania – Despite their participation being initially confirmed,[30] on 18 December 2018 the final list of countries did not include Romania.[1] It was later revealed that the Romanian broadcaster Televiziunea Română (TVR) had declined an invitation to participate.[31]
- Spain – RTVE confirmed to news outlet ESCplus España that they would not broadcast the contest in any way, but that they were considering a 2021 debut depending on the time they have to prepare the entry and the interest.[32]
The following countries participated in 2017, however did not appear in the final list of participants.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "EBU - Eurovision Choir". www.ebu.ch. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Denmark's Vocal Line win Eurovision Choir 2019". www.ebu.ch. European Broadcasting Union. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "Latvian choir "Maska" places second in Eurovision Choir 2019". eng.lsm.lv. Latvian Public Broadcasting. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (4 February 2018). "Eurovision Choir of the Year to Return in 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ "Eurovision Choir'19: Winner To Receive Trip To The World Choir Games 2020". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. July 21, 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ^ "Eurovision Choir'19: Twenty One Choirs To Form The Opening Act". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Eurovision Choir'19: ABBA's Hits To Open and Close The Contest". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. July 15, 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ^ "Eurovision Choir'19: Opening, Interval & Closing Acts Revealed". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Eurovision Choir'19: Carmen Manet Winners Of Eurovision Choir 2017 Set to Perform". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (6 August 2018). "Petroc Trelawny and Josie D'Arby to Host Eurovision Young Musicians 2018". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Ella Petersson leder SVT:s Kulturstudion". svt.se. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ "Kulturfrågan Kontrapunkt". svt.se. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (17 July 2019). "Eurovision Choir '19: Running Order for Grand Final Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (2 August 2019). "Eurovision Choir 2019 Songs Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ^ "Eurovision Choir 2019: Press Handbook" (PDF). EBU. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (20 July 2019). "Belgium: Patrick Leterme to Commentate on Eurovision Choir 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (9 July 2019). "Denmark: Eurovision Choir gets moved to DR1". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (30 June 2019). "Germany: Peter Urban to Commentate on Eurovision Choir 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (1 August 2019). "Latvia: Kristīne Komarovska and Jānis Holšteins-Upmanis to Commentate on Eurovision Choir 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (14 July 2019). "Norway: NRK To Broadcast Eurovision Choir 2019 on Time Delay". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ a b Granger, Anthony. "Eurovision Choir 2019: Broadcasting Television Channels & Radio Stations Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (7 July 2019). "Scotland: Tony Kearney to Commentate at Eurovision Choir". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (22 July 2019). "Sweden: SVT2 To Broadcast Eurovision Choir 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (22 July 2019). "Switzerland: RTS To Air Documentary on Cake O'Phonie". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (3 August 2019). "Switzerland: Jean-Marc Richard & Philippe Savoy To Commentate Eurovision Choir". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (28 July 2019). "Wales: Morgan Jones To Commentate on Eurovision Choir 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ "L'Eurovision des Choeurs 2019 - Télé-Loisirs". Retrieved 5 August 2020 – via www.programme-tv.net.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (16 November 2018). "Estonia: Withdraws From Eurovision Choir of the Year". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ Herbert, Emily (21 May 2019). "France Withdraw from Eurovision Choir 2019". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
- ^ "Romania: Corul Symbol to Eurovision Choir of the Year". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (18 December 2018). "Romania: TVR Declined EBU Invite to Participate in Eurovision Choir of the Year". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- ^ Carros, David (22 July 2019). "Televisión Española no emitirá el Festival de Eurovisión de los Coros 2019 pero estudiará el debut de España en próximas ediciones" (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2019.
External links
- Official website