Choirs singing at the final of Barnardo's National Choral Competition inside Birmingham Symphony Hall

National Choir Competition 2025

Event type Children and family, Fundraising

National Choir Competition 2025

Submissions for this year are now closed but you can still get involved by joining us for the Grand Final at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Tickets are on sale now!

Event date:
4 March 2025
Location:
Birmingham Symphony Hall
View on Google Maps
Entry fee:
Tickets from £15

Register for this event

4 March 2025

What is the National Choir Competition?

The National Choir Competition is the largest schools and community choir competition in the UK and has been running for over 17 years! It's an incredible opportunity to showcase young people's talents and raise money to go towards helping children and young people feel safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful.

Join us at at Birmingham Symphony Hall to see some of the finest youth choirs in the country. Tickets are now on sale.

National Choir Competition 2025 Finalists

Juniors

Ballyholme Primary School

Canons Choir

Deansfield Primary School Choir

East Herrington Primary Academy 

Farnham Youth Choir (FYC) - Junior Choir

Hereford Cathedral Junior School Choir

Hymers Junior School Choir

Kent College Choristers

King's Hawford Senior Choir

Monkton Harmony

RGS THE GRANGE

Taunton Prep School Singers

The Abbey Junior School Chamber Choir

The Pointer School Chamber Choir

Thomas's Clapham Chapel Choir 

Young Notes Junior

Seniors

Bryanston School Choir

Cor-ieuenctid-mon (CÃ'r leuenctid MÃ'n)

Cor Heol y March

Ellesmere College Chamber Choir

Harrogate Ladies' College Chapel Choir

Highgate School Chorale

Key Voices

Mount St Mary's College Chamber Choir

NChant, Rochester Grammar School

Nower Hill Glee Club

Regent House Grammar School

Sedbergh School Chapel Choir

Shrewsbury School Chamber Choir

South Hampstead High School Chamber Choir

Tring Park Senior Chamber Choir

Wrekin College Chapel Choir

Competition format

Age categories

There are two age categories this year:

  • Junior - up to and including 12 years, as of 4 March 2025.

  • Senior - up to and including 18 years, as of 4 March 2025. 

Preliminary round

Choirs are invited to submit two pieces of contrasting musical styles for adjudication by our judges. From these pieces, judges will choose who will go through to our Grand Final.

Grand Final

16 choirs, in the Junior and Senior category, will compete at the Grand Final on Tuesday 4 March at Birmingham Symphony Hall.

There will be two competitions with the Junior competition taking place during the day, and the Senior competition during the evening. Please note there will be no separate evening concert this year.

All choirs will sit in the auditorium and perform in front of a live audience.

Choirs can choose to perform the pieces they submitted in the preliminary round or choose two new contrasting pieces.

Musical styles

We will be judging performances primarily on musical excellence, technical skill, and a high standard of singing performance.

We are keen to encourage a wide range of musical styles and to inspire more choirs from across the musical spectrum.

If you’d like to, we welcome movement or choreography in the Popular category which might enhance the singing performance, keeping in mind that choirs will be primarily judged on their musical ability.

Choirs can be creative with how their piece is accompanied if it follows the rules below and enhances rather than detracts from the singing.

Therefore, we would love choirs to consider submitting a variety of musical styles such as (but not limited to):

Traditional, including:

  • Traditional choral

  • World (traditional pieces from different cultures)

  • Folk

  • Gospel

  • Spiritual

  • Classical

Popular, including:

  • Pop (including all genres)

  • Musical theatre / Show

  • Film

  • New arrangements

  • Performance with steps (not full dance routine)

 * We would encourage choirs to consider performing two contrasting pieces spanning both traditional and popular, but this is not mandatory.

Awards

Prizes will be awarded in the Grand Final as follows:

  • Winner and runner up – Traditional Category (best single score for traditional style listed above)

  • Winner and runner up – Popular Category (best single score for popular style listed above)

  • Overall winning Junior choir* (best combined score for both pieces)

  • Overall winning Senior choir* (best combined score for both pieces)

* We would encourage choirs to consider performing two contrasting pieces spanning both traditional and popular, but this is not mandatory.

The overall winning Junior and Senior choirs will be awarded a place at our Young Supporters’ Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in November 2025.

Children raising money for Barnardo's during the yearly Big Toddle event

Get involved

Thinking about other ways you could get involved to support children and young people across the UK? Find out more below.

Picture of large concert hall filled with young people singing in a choir competition.

Previous National Choir Competitions

We've been running the National Choir Competition for over 17 years now! Look back at some of the previous winners and choirs involved below.

Little girl swings on a swing, smiling and enjoying her childhood

Our impact

Getting involved with events like the National Choir Competition has a big impact on children and young people all over the UK.

Clicking 'Quick exit' allows you to leave the site immediately. It will take you to the BBC weather page.