The Co-op Concentio Youth Choir is celebrating after winning the Best Choir Award at the Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts.

The choir also won two out of the three categories they were entered in, gaining outstanding marks of 91 and 92 out of 100 in the Choirs under 19 years and Choral Sacred and Anthems classes.

Jade Tournay-Godfrey, who has been the choir’s conductor for nearly two years, said: “I was really proud; to win two categories was pretty impressive, but to win the overall prize was jaw dropping.”

Rebecca Roberts, who sang a solo in the choir’s performance of ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, said: “It was nice to listen to the other choirs performing at the festival, and we were really surprised to win.” 

The festival adjudicators described the choir’s performances as “a joy, outstanding,” and said that their choral sound was “whole, melodic and harmonious.”

The choir, which is made up of 11 to 19-year-olds, and is supported by the East of England Co-operative Society, will collect the Whitman Cup for the overall Best Choir Award, at a special concert in November.

PHOTO: Members of the Co-op Concentio Youth Choir celebrate their win with conductor Jade Tournay-Godfrey (front right). 

Note to Editors:
The East of England Co-operative Society is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and has over 200 trading outlets which are located in 73 towns and villages, plus the three regional centres of Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester.

The Society’s diverse business activities include: supermarkets and food stores, travel, pharmacy, optical and funeral branches, petrol forecourts and motor dealerships. 

For further information:
Laura Bennett, Public Relations Officer, East of England Co-operative Society,
Wherstead Park, The Street, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2BJ    
E-mail: l.bennett@eastofengland.coop