Slovenia's Carmen Manet wins Eurovision Choir of 2017
Riga, 23 July - Slovenia's choir Carmen Manet has won the inaugural Eurovision Choir of the Year competition. Held in Riga, Latvia on Saturday, the contest saw nine choirs from nine countries members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Riga, Latvia
Slovenia's choir Carmen Manet wins the Eurovision Choir of the Year contest.
Photo: Reinis Rudzitis/EBU
Each of the competing choirs performed a six minute piece which reflected, in part, their national or regional character. Conducted by Primož Kerštanj, the Slovenian choir performed Scarf by composer Katarina Pustinek Rakar and And So We Dance in Resia by Samo Vovk.
The performing choirs were judged by a jury composed of British choral composer John Rutter, internationally renowned Latvian mezzo-soprano Eli Garanča and Swiss choral conductor Nicolas Fink.
Cor Merched Sir Gar from Wales came second and Latvia's Spigo were placed third.
Carmen Manet is a female chamber choir founded in 2011. It is made up of the best singers of past and present generations of the girls choir of the Gimnazija Kranj school.
The name of the choir is Latin for "the song remains", the message being that the girls want to go on singing after they left their school.
The choir has already won many honours at several international competitions. In September 2013 they released their first CD.