Hundreds pack into Eden for Xmas Choir Final (From Bucks Free Press)

Hundreds pack into Eden for Xmas Choir Final

10:06am Monday 14th December 2009

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AS X FACTOR mania neared its climax hundreds packed into the Eden shopping centre to see the best choirs in south Bucks go head to head for a total prize fund of £3,000.

The search for our finest festive choirs ended outside Star Bucks with X Factor star Daniel Pearce on the judging panel.

The Eden Xmas Choir competition began on November 19 and nine choirs made it through to Saturday's final.

Knights of Harmony, from Chesham, won the judges' vote in the community category, while Stokenchurch Primary School and a barbershop-style choir from the Royal Grammar School won their sections and £1,000 in prize money.

Mohican-sporting Daniel Pearce gave some expert advice to the choirs and said he enjoyed being on the other side of the judges' table for once.

He said afterwards: “The standard of singing was really high and some of the choirs were so professional.

“I actually used to be in a barbershop quartet so I think the choir from RGS were my favourite.

Bucks Free Press readers also had their chance to have their say with readers’ votes being taken into account by the judges.

Thirty-strong male choir Knights of Harmony beat off stiff competition from close friends and rivals Amersham A Cappella with a superb performance of 'Who Will Buy' from the musical Oliver!

Chas Owen, a bass singer in the Chesham group, said: “My wife sings with Amersham so there's a little bit of rivalry there. They usually beat us so it was nice to turn it around this time - we're all ecstatic.”

His wife Lynne, of the Amersham ladies choir joked: “It was a bit of an upset - we know we're much better than them normally.”

Street Dreams from High Wycombe were the third choir in the community category and also won praise from the judges.

In the secondary school section the crowd went wild for the RGS boys whose version of 'De Virgin Mary had a baby boy' wowed all four judges.

Pupil Caleb Wheeler-Robinson, 17, said: “I think we were very lucky to win considering the high standard of the choirs. We spent so long practising but it feels brilliant now.”

They beat off strong competition from The Amersham School and Sir William Borlase Grammar School.

In the final category the tiny singers of Stokenchurch Primary School had the crowd roaring after they bounced through Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.

The High March, from Beaconsfield, and Holtspur Primary School choirs made it a tough decision for the judges but Stokenchurch just edged it.

Teacher Jo Bray said; “It's superb to win – the kids were absolutely great. We've been working really hard for it in the last few weeks.”

She said the prize money will go towards the school's music department while the RGS choir will spend their money on a portable PA system for outdoor performances and recording a CD.

The Knights of Harmony will use the money to finance free singing courses to start on January 7 (see their website for more info – links below).

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