Philippines' Advent Euphonic Chorale crowned Choir of the World

 

* Advent Euphonic Chorale from the Philippines celebrate their stunning Choir of the World victory.

The prestigious Choir of the World title has been awarded to Advent Euphonic Chorale from the Philippines following a spectacular finale at the 2026 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

 

In a remarkable day of competition, the internationally acclaimed choir completed a stunning hat-trick of victories. 

They were first crowned winners of the Mixed Choir Competition with an outstanding score of 95, before claiming the Open Choirs Competition with an incredible score of 96. 

They then returned to the stage later the same day to win the prestigious Choir of the World title, completing an extraordinary treble that ranks among the finest achievements in the festival's history.

 

The standard of competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is widely recognised as being among the highest in the world. Each year, the festival attracts many of the finest amateur choirs from across the globe, making victory in any category a remarkable achievement. To win three major titles in a single day is an exceptionally rare accomplishment and underlines the outstanding quality of Advent Euphonic Chorale.

 

The Pinoy choir, composed of students and young professionals, and predominantly drawn from the Adventist University of the Philippines, has earned an international reputation for excellence, winning accolades at prestigious competitions across the globe. Their latest success in Llangollen adds the celebrated Choir of the World title to an already remarkable list of achievements.

 

The Choir of the World competition brings together the winners of the festival's principal choral competitions for a thrilling grand final on the iconic Llangollen stage and is widely regarded as one of the highest honours in international choral music.

 

Following their victory, the choir was presented with the famous Pavarotti Trophy by Artistic Director Dave Danford and Chair of the Eisteddfod John Gambles, to rapturous applause from the audience.

 

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod said, "Congratulations to Advent Euphonic Chorale on becoming our 2026 Choir of the World. To win three major titles in a single day is an extraordinary achievement and reflects the exceptional standard of musicianship, artistry and dedication shown by every member of the choir.

 

"This competition represents the very best of international choral singing and tonight's final once again demonstrated why Llangollen continues to be recognised as one of the world's great stages for choral music. We are delighted to add Advent Euphonic Chorale to the distinguished list of Choir of the World winners."

* The prize trophy is handed over by Eisteddfod chair John Gambles (left) and artistic director Dave Danford. 

Artistic Director Dave Danford added, "The standard throughout this year's Choir of the World competition has been truly exceptional. Every finalist brought something unique to the stage, making the judges' task incredibly difficult.

 

"Advent Euphonic Chorale performed with outstanding precision, musicality and expression throughout the day. Winning the Mixed Choir, Open Choirs and Choir of the World titles in the space of a few hours is an extraordinary accomplishment and one that will long be remembered in Llangollen. We congratulate them, along with every choir that has helped make this year's festival such a memorable celebration of international music-making."

 

The Choir of the World competition brought the curtain down on an outstanding week at the 2026 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Thousands of competitors from across the globe travelled to Llangollen to celebrate music, dance and international friendship, while audiences enjoyed a memorable programme of concerts and events. 

Highlights included Sir Karl Jenkins' powerful opening concert Uniting Nations: One World, the critically acclaimed performance by Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, a spectacular evening with Michael Ball, the busiest Parade of Nations in a generation, and six unforgettable days of world-class competition. Once again, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod demonstrated why it remains one of the world's most celebrated and prestigious international arts festivals.

 

* For more information about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, visit www.llangollen.net.

* The choir's fans in the audience join in the adulation. 

Final daily update from the Eisteddfod field and town

llanblogger brings you the last of its daily Eisteddfod updates from in town and around the field yesterday (Sunday) ...

* The Off Pitch Choir entertain in Centenary Square. ALL PICTURES: KURLY MAWAHA

* The Young People's Choir of New York City went down a treat at Llangollen Station.

* Solo singer Parish Fouladi on the Unity Stage on the field. 

* Chantage Choir from London practice in St John's churchyard where it's shady. Later in the afternoon they went on to win the Male Voice Choirs competition.

Michael Ball wins hearts of adoring Eisteddfod audience

 * Michael Ball wows the Pavilion crowd at his concert last night.

Michael Ball’s opening number of his barnstorming Saturday concert at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod was Best Night of Your Life and that’s exactly what he sweated to make it for a packed Pavilion audience on a sultry summer evening.

Warning them that it was so hot that he almost came in shorts, he followed up with the aptly-titled Some Guys Have All the Luck, which indeed he has had over a five-decade career which has seen him become one of Britain’s leading musical theatre stars, a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum recording artist and a hugely popular radio and TV presenter.

He is also an accomplished songwriter, a talent which was displayed in Tennessee Dreams, a Country-inspired piece that wouldn’t have seemed out of place in Nashville. We stayed in the Deep South for The Gambler, nipping over to Memphis for Elvis’s I Just Can’t Help Believin’.

He clearly loves material by the guys with big voices and he skilfully applied his own to a shattering version of Tom Jones’s Fall in Love. By this time the audience had fallen deeply in love with him - if they hadn’t already done so years ago.

* ... and told them how happy he was to be in Llangollen.

Glow, the title track from his latest album, then got a spectacular airing as did the moving You which he also penned.

Favourites abounded and the next one up, The Rose, didn’t disappoint. Neither did He Lives in You, from Lion King, which saw another powerhouse of a delivery.

No Ball show would be complete without the tear-jerking Empty Chairs from Les Misérables, the musical in which he has had a few starring roles since the dawn of his long career. One of them was police officer Javert who sings the moving Stars and which he presented next.

Another biggie, the patriotic Anthem, he made a tribute to Wales, a country in which he has deep family roots.

It was then time to prove that he can also rock, which he did in style with Vintage from his 23^rd studio album, Let’s Just Dance and You Can’t Stop the Beat.

Another one he wouldn’t have been allowed to neglect was Loves Changes Everything, a breakthrough number of his from wayback when. 

There was a tribute to his own performing arts profession with On With the Show before he reached a parting crescendo with Elvis’s The Wonder of You winning a standing ovation in the process.

Before he left the stage he described the Eisteddfod as a “wonderful tradition” which made him proud to be part of. And in the adoring eyes of Pavilion audiences he will clearly always be that.

Special St Collen's service celebrates 2026 Eisteddfod

* German choir Mannerchor Germania Freiendiez sing at St Collen's Eisteddfod service.

St Collen's Church hosted its traditional service to mark the close of the 2026 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod this morning (Sunday).

Officials and volunteers from this year's successful festival were in the congregation for the With One Voice gathering.

After the stirring opening hymn of the Old Hundredth to acknowledge the multi-national flavour of the Eisteddfod, there was a welcome from priest-in-charge Father Lee Taylor before the first reading was delivered by festival chairman John Gambles. A further reading came later from Gethin Davies, a former chairman.

The service was uplifted by contributions from two of the choirs appearing at the Eisteddfod this week.

First to sing was Haaslava Meeskoor from Estonia, one of the country's long-established community male voice choirs whose set included a rendition, in the Welsh language, of Calon Lan.

Following a further hymn, Let All the World in Every Corner Sing, again a nod to the Eisteddfod, there came a performance from Mannerchor Germania Freiendiez from Germany, one of the country's oldest continuously active male voice choirs.   

Between the two choral interludes was a piece from local poet Gareth Culshaw entitled New People Bring Us Light written specially for Eisteddfod week and featuring vivid imagery of Llangollen.

Intercessions were led by the newly-ordained Dyfan Parry.

The theme of Father Lee's address from the pulpit was how music connects people and communities.

* Haaslava Meeskoor from Estonia sang Calon Lan in Welsh.

* Father Lee Taylor gives his address during the service. 

* Intercessions are led by ordinant Dyfan Parry.

* Local poet Gareth Culshaw reads his New People Bring Us Light. 

* St Collen's currently has an urgent appeal to raise funds for the conservation of its internationally-renowned medieval hammerbeam roof.

Despite being acknowledged as a masterpiece of Welsh craftsmanship it faces critical decay and risks being lost without immediate action, say experts. Supporters can donate through Just Giving - see the St Collen's website under Genesis Project.

Another daily update from the Eisteddfod field and town

llanblogger brings you the fourth of its daily Eisteddfod updates from in town and around the field yesterday (Saturday) ...

* Manchester Community Choir singing on Centenary Square.

* The Daw choir from Wrexham during their performance on the town square.

* Warming up for the ballet competition on the main stage.

* An all-action show on the Unity Stage on the field. 

* The woodworking exhibition on the field was going down well with visitors.

Tomorrow's Llangollen flypast by veteran aircraft is cancelled

The veteran Dakota aircraft that was due to make a flypast of Llangollen tomorrow lunchtime (Sunday) will not now be coming after all.

Llangollen-based RAF Padre Rebekah Cannon of the RAF had organised the special  appearance by the World War Two vintage transport aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) for Eisteddfod week when it was due to make two over-flights of the Pavilion.

She had also asked organisers to plot a course over the RAFA Club bowling green on route.

At the time it was announced Padre Cannon did warn that the flight was weather and serviceability dependent.

And this evening she has passed on the news from RAF Coningsby, where the aircraft is based, that the event is off due to the plane involved being unserviceable following a mechanical problem, for which the BBMF has apologised.  

Sublime Emeli Sandé and formidable home orchestra have Pavilion bouncing

* Pictures above and below: Tom Cusworth.

British hit-maker Emeli Sandé’s sublimely soulful voice bouncing off the wonderful wall of sound produced by the Absolute Orchestra conducted by Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’s own artistic director Dave Danford had a packed Pavilion literally rocking to its canvas roof. 

Specially for the festival the two musicians collaborated on a programme which saw Danford rework some of the British singer-songwriter’s biggest album hits to spectacular effect.

 

The enormous and delicious background sound was produced by a hand-picked, 20-odd-strong group of musicians numbering in the twenties who enveloped Sande’s soaring voice like constant pouring of hot cream.

 

For the opening number of Daddy this formidable pairing was accompanied on stage by a sweet girls’ choir before the mind-blowing accompaniment started in tremendous earnest with a Bond theme-style suite featuring My Kind of Love and Clown, both of which lit the touch paper for the hugely enthusiastic audience.

It was on with more dynamic creations on Heaven, segwaying neatly into Hurts.

Yes You Can had been arranged with a classical music bridge leading into Survivor – and who but Danford would be capable of using Khachaturian’s Masquerade Ballet Suite in such a marvellously workable way?

 

Much to the delight of the thousands of watchers out front, for Beneath Your Beautiful Sandé duetted with promise-filled young singer Brook Fox who had earlier worked with the evening’s support band – something which went down particularly pleasingly.

 

Mountains followed then it was time for more sensory prodding as a video backdrop contrasting a war-ravaged scene narrated by former Eisteddfod president and supreme man of peace Sir Terry Waite – who was actually in the audience – with shots of the festival’s iconic Parade of Nations, the 2026 version of which had taken place only hours before. Whoever thought of that deserves a huge plaudit too.

 

After High and Lows and a tumultuous Read All About It Pt. III came the inevitable standing ovation, which was for the benefit of the orchestra every bit as much as the star, who was not given permission to quit the glittering Pavilion stage until she’s lavishly paid her exit fee with You Are Not Alone and a massive, hand-clapping-foot-stomping Next to Me, which quite literally had the old joint bouncing.