Tring Park School for the Performing Arts have won the prestigious BBC Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year 2016 competition.
The final, which was aired yesterday (Sunday 24 April) on BBC One, saw the Tring Park School Choir compete in the senior category against Oakham School and St George’s College.
The choir impressed the judges, which included: world-famous mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins; British choral and orchestral conductor and composer Ken Burton; and West End star Connie Fisher Daniel, with their rendition of Daniel, Daniel Servant Of The Lord.
The competition final was presented by Aled Jones at Sheffield City Hall.
The choir consists of 16 sixth formers from Tring Park who are pupils from the drama, dance, musical theatre and performance foundation courses, which makes the choir a unique feature of the school, being the only regular vehicle for cross-course performing.
Tommy Nagra, executive producer from Songs of Praise, said: “This year’s finalists showcased inspiring and spine-tingling performances of the highest quality. The children, teachers and parents of all our entrants deserve real praise for embracing the competition and supporting the fine tradition of singing in schools across the UK .The judges had a tough task picking the winners who demonstrated choral excellence of the highest standard. Congratulations to Tring Park School from Hertfordshire who walked away with the coveted trophy in the senior category as winner of School Choir of The Year 2016.”
Reflecting on the choir’s achievements, Tring Park director of music Liz Norris said: “This is the first year that we have entered the Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year competition and even having seen it on television, we really didn’t know what to expect.
“The standard was extremely high however from all choirs competing, and to say that we were surprised and delighted with the result would be an understatement. I am unbelievably proud of the choristers for their talent, commitment, professionalism and passion and feel honoured to be able to work with such amazing young people.
“We only get the chance to rehearse during the lunch times, which, given the length and intensity of the school day, speaks volumes about the choristers’ commitment and dedication.”
Tring Park School for the Performing Arts has long been the favourite for budding dancers, singers and thespians. And it can boast a glittering line-up of star-studded recent alumni, such as Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) Lily James (Pride and Prejudice and Disney’s Cinderella), Ella Henderson (The X Factor) and Jessica Findlay-Brown (Downton Abbey).
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About Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
- Tring Park is one of the UK's top performing arts schools – the majority of pupils forge successful careers in the performing arts.
- Tring Park provides a unique community for talented young people, regardless of means or background, who have both passion and talent for dance, drama, musical theatre or commercial music.
- Tring Park also provides a balanced education and has an outstanding academic record: pupils regularly get into the top universities.
Tring Park one of the Top 100 Independent UK Boarding Schools and ranked in the top tier of all schools for delivering "added value" for pupils' performance. - Tring Park's academic performance places it in the top 10 independent schools in Hertfordshire in the published league tables.
- Tring Park is housed in a former Rothschild mansion in beautiful grounds in Tring, Hertfordshire, and was used as a location (a Russian ballet school) in the 2015 Avengers movie, Age of Ultron.
- Tring Park School's history can be traced back as far as 1919. For many years Tring Park was part of the Arts Educational School, which before this was known as the Cone Ripman School, and provided the performing arts training for Dame Julie Andrews.
- The Principal of Tring Park is Stefan Anderson