Celebrating 25 years of the hugely popular festive competition
Join us on RT lyric fm for our annual celebration of community, amateur choral music making from all around the island of Ireland RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas 2024
We know that choirs all over the country are busy rehearsing again and preparing for special Christmas celebrations. RT lyric fm would love you to join in our choral celebration and send in a recording to the RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas Competition. We are looking forward to hearing your performances and sharing your music making with the nation this festive season!
A selection of submissions will be chosen for airplay on Weekend Classics with Claudia Boyle from December 7th.
We all need that festive soundtrack to get us in the seasonal mood so your entries will be posted and available to listen to on the RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas webpage. In the meantime check out our main RT lyric fm webpage for details on how to enter.
RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas 2024
RT lyric fm producer Gail Henry said It's hard to believe the competition is in its 25th year! Choral singing is at the heart of Irish community life and we really enjoy hearing choirs from all corners of the country. From choirs large and small to singers young and old. It's such a highlight when the entries start coming in we all get that special Christmas feeling in the office. We already know many choirs are planning to enter, so come on and join the thousands of performers who are singing their hearts out and preparing to send in an MP3 before Friday 29th November 2024, 12 noon. We can't wait to hear from you and we so look forward to sharing your recordings with RT lyric fm listeners and giving your choir what could be your first big national broadcast! Whether your song is winter seasonal or Christmassy it's your chance to shine on national radio and help our listeners experience the true magic of Christmas this year on RTE lyric fm.
Closing date for the receipt of entries is Friday 29th November 2024, 12 noon.
-ENDS-
Date: Tuesday October 8th 2024
RT Press Officer: Tara O'Leary
Editor's Notes:
Competition Terms and Conditions of Entry
All choirs school, college, amateur and semi-professional choral societies and chamber choirs are welcome to enter
All music entries must be in MP3 format only and submitted by e-mail only No other format will be accepted
Please listen back to your recording and ensure that it is suitable for airplay, requires no editing and shows the choir at their best!
Please note by submitting your entry you are agreeing to RT lyric fm publishing all details submitted
Entries must be sent to choirs.lyricfm@rte.ie and must include the following:
A correctly labelled MP3 recording (Please save the MP3 with the full name of the choir, town and county i.e. St Brigid's National School Choir, Castlebar, Co.Mayo)
A high-res jpeg picture of the choir (labelled correctly as above)
A short choir biography (maximum 350 characters)
Details of the piece performed including title and composer and / or arranger
Please submit details of any additional instrumentalists in the recording i.e. accompanist
Full contact details for the choir director
Mobile phone number
Postal address
E-mail address
Where applicable, please provide your social media account names/handles on Facebook, Instagram,X or TikTok.
Optional send in a video of your choir to be featured on the RT lyric fm social media pages! (preferably made in portrait with a 9:16 aspect ratio and the ideal dimensions being 1080 1920 pixels.)
Please do check this list twice: Ensure you attach all the above details in one email incomplete entries or multiple emails with incomplete details will be deemed invalid
Closing date for the receipt of entries is Friday 29th November 2024, 12 noon
Prizes:
BEST OVERALL CHOIR : 750
BEST OVERALL RUNNERS UP: 200
BEST YOUTH CHOIR: 200
BEST COMMUNITY / CHORAL SOCIETY CHOIR: 200
BEST PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR: 200
BEST SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOIR: 200
BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONTEMPORARY IRISH CHORAL WORK*: 200 *Composed within the last 10 years may include one of the RT lyric fm Christmas Carols Commissions.
Below is a list of our 2023 Choirs for Christmas winners.
SING IRELAND CHORAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Jilly Powell, teacher at St. Mary's CBS School Choir, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONTEMPORARY IRISH CHORAL WORK: Belfast Philharmonic Youth Choir conducted by Lynsey Callaghan for a performance ofCome and Sing by Se n Doherty
BEST PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR: Our Lady Queen of Peace Choir, Janesboro, Limerick with teachers James Malone, na Ryan Carmody, and Orla Bourke Maguire
SPECIAL COMMENDATION AWARD: Saint Brigid's National School, Castleknock, Dublin 15 conducted by Niamh Williams
BEST SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOIR: CBS Loreto Kilkenny Senior Choir conducted by Mandy Dowling and Lorraine Maher
BEST YOUTH CHOIR: Limerick Youth Choir, conducted by Maire Keary-Scanlon
BEST COMMUNITY CHOIR: The Dublin Gay Men's Chorus, choral director David O'Shea
BEST CHORAL SOCIETY CHOIR: Grosvenor Chorale, Belfast, conducted by Edward Craig
BEST OVERALL RUNNERS UP: Dublin Youth Choir Singers conducted by Lynsey Callaghan
BEST OVERALL CHOIR : Lux Brumalis, Dublin conducted by David Yau
More from RTE
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
11/12/2025
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Irish golfing hero Shane Lowry...
11/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier ti...
11/12/2025
Sash is ready to samba as Fair City star Stephanie Kelly is revealed as the late...
10/12/2025
It's out of the frying pan and into the sequins for comedian and actor Micha...
10/12/2025
Born That Way airs Thursday 18 December on RT One and RT Player
Born That ...
09/12/2025
Current Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been revealed as the third contestant...
08/12/2025
Over 1.7 million people watched across the weekend
Another record-breaking year...
08/12/2025
Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh is the first celebrity to be revealed for the s...
08/12/2025
Changing children's lives for good: A staggering 4.6 million raised in the 2025 appeal
The people of Ireland and people all over the world have once again...
08/12/2025
It's murder on the dancefloor as The Traitors Ireland legend Paudie Moloney ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
Following today's EBU Winter General Assembly in Geneva at which Israel's participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed, RT 's pos...
04/12/2025
The ninth series of Dancing with the Stars returns to screens in early
2026 and will be proudly sponsored by Hyundai
Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz an...
03/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Celebrate 2025's top Irish sporting stars with RT Sport Awards live from RT Studios on RT One and RT Player
RT pays tribute to Ror...
02/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Hollywood blockbusters The Banshees of Inisherin, Barbie and Oppenheimer make their Irish TV debut
Tune into the classics such as Love Actual...
02/12/2025
Showcasing fresh Irish storytelling and emerging talent Storyland 2025 signals a fantastic time for Irish drama
RT and F s ireann/Screen Ireland are proud to...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
24/11/2025
Ahead of the new ninth series of Dancing with the Stars, kicking off in January 2026, RT and Shinawil have announced the arrival of three new faces to the hit ...
20/11/2025
It's the Late Late Toy Show BIG BIG Ticket Giveaway day!
It's the Late ...
20/11/2025
The How To Gael pocast gals, comedian Chris Kent and quizzer Darragh Ennis drop by for the fifth episode of The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In
In the penultimat...
20/11/2025
Tonight on RT Prime Time, Marie Crowe on how a Reading School changed her son&#...
19/11/2025
Michael D. Higgins: Ireland's Ninth President features RT Archives footage and interviews across seven decades
Watch Wednesday 19 November at 9:35pm on RT...
18/11/2025
DJ Carey: The Dodger starts Monday 24th November at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Pl...
14/11/2025
The Late Late Toy Show blasts off!
RT launches The Late Late Toy Show's of...
13/11/2025
Legendary actor and proud Irishman Gabriel Byrne will be in studio this week to ...
13/11/2025
Tonight's crucial Republic of Ireland World Cup qualifier v Portugal at the ...
13/11/2025
In the fourth episode of The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In the lads are joined b...
12/11/2025
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
2 0 2 6 K E Y D A T E S
Irish Album of the Year 2025 Shortlist 19th January
Irish Song of the ...
12/11/2025
Parents jailed for over two years after bringing their daughter to hospital for ...
11/11/2025
After international award wins, the much-loved children's series returns with 13 brand new episodes with some very special children and guests including Ros...
10/11/2025
76 animals. Six locations. Two Irish stars. One Pet Mobile.
From surfing dogs t...
07/11/2025
SLEIGH BELLS RING ARE YOU WINNING?
THE LATE LATE TOY SHOW BIG BIG TICKET GIVEAWAY EXCLUSIVE ACROSS RT CHANNELS
On Friday 21 November, listeners across all R...
06/11/2025
RT Announces Alex Walden as General Manager of the
RTE Concert Orchestra
Alex Walden, renowned orchestra manager, most recently for the BBC Concert Orche...
06/11/2025
Actors Steve Coogan and anna Hardwicke will be on the Late Late Show this week ...
06/11/2025
In the third episode of The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In actor Danny O'Carr...
05/11/2025
New schedule will be live on-air Monday 10 November
Brand-new Today with David McCullagh from 9am
Oliver Callan in all-new extended show from 11am to 1pm
Kie...
05/11/2025
Explore the future with Science Week on RT
Dive into a week of innovative, themed programming and content across RT television, radio and online
Includes a ...
05/11/2025
Get ready for six weeks of United FC, a brand-new, feel-good teen docuseries kic...
04/11/2025
Begins Thursday November 6 on RT One and RT Player at 10:15pm
Camogie: Inside...
03/11/2025
They've made that decision and ruined an awful lot of people's lives.
...
31/10/2025
The RT Raidi na Gaeltachta Award 2025 will be presented to journalist P il n N Chiar in at the Oireachtas na Samhna in Belfast tomorrow, Saturday 1 November,...
Celebrating 25 years of the hugely popular festive competition 
