GLOR Youth Choir crowned as "Youth Choir of the Year 2023"

Hot on the heels of their recent success at the Wales International Choral Competition, the Moate-based GLOR Youth Choir swept the boards once again at the Navan Choral Festival on Sunday, including being crowned “Youth Choir of the Year 2023.”

Not only did the 30-strong choir, which is made up of children from all over the Midlands, win the overall award from a field of 13 choirs, but they also achieved first place in the Liturgical Music competition and first place in the Irish Music competition.

Choir Director, Ciarán Brady, described the huge success in Navan as “a dream come true” and said it was like winning “the Triple Crown” of the Irish youth choral world. “We are all over the moon” he added.

The dream prize of winning overall Youth Choir of the Year was achieved by GLOR for two pieces, "My Lord has Come" by Will Todd and an arrangement of the spiritual "Elijah Rock" with the choir beating off very stiff competition from 13 other choirs drawn from all parts of Ireland and also from Northern Ireland.

Richard Yarr MBE and BBC Sacred Choral Music presenter, who judged the overall Choir of the Year' competition, " said the two musical choices of the Moate choir were “”a perfect choir to display the skills of the choir” and hailed their winning performance as "singing extremely difficult and technical music, but making it sound like it was straightforward."

The huge success of the GLOR Youth Choir in Navan marks the end of their choral year until September, and the 30 members will now return to their school books to concentrate on the looming State examinations.

The youth choir is currently looking, in particular, for talented male singers aged between13 - 18 to come on an amazing and fun choral journey with them. Anyone interested in joining is asked to contact the choir on social media or contact Ciarán Brady directly on 086 2098730.

GLOR Children's Choir, which operates under the same umbrella as the youth choir, and is for primary school children, was successful at the recent RDS Feis Ceoil in Dublin winning second place in two competitions in March.

The choirs were established in 2008 by their conductor Ciaran Brady - who founded the "Academy of Music" in Tullamore - and is a full time professional vocal coach and conductor of many award winning choirs.

Both choirs rehearse on Thursdays at Tuar Ard Theatre in Moate and new members are always welcome.

GLOR Choirs, unusually, are not school Choirs, and therefore they welcome any school aged children from all over the Midland counties, enhancing the musicianship and social freedom that singing and music has to offer as an out of school pastime and activity.