A short history
”Let the Peoples Sing” is an international choral competition for amateur choirs (and radio stations) organised by the EBU. Today the competition is held every other year.
The aim of the competition is threefold:
- to stimulate interest in choral music by amateur choirs
- to promote the EBU’s role in the organization of major radio musical events
- to provide participating Members with programmes of choral music
The history of LTPS features three phases:
First phase (1966-1989):
The competition began in 1966, and for 17 years the BBC was responsible for organizing this prestigious amateur competition. In 1983 Deutschlandfunk in Cologne (on behalf of ARD) and YLE in Helsinki took over on an alternating basis. During these years, choruses' tape-recordings were entered by radio stations. An international jury of choral experts met and listened to the tapes and ranked the choirs in each category. The winners were announced in a broadcast presenting the best choirs, and the very best choir - across the categories - was awarded the legendary “Silver Rose Bowl”. However, there was no competition on the air at the time.
Second phase (1989-2001):
In 1989, the concept was changed. The competition was now held every other year. In April, the international jury met to select the best choirs for the final, held in October. The semifinal was still held as a listening session, in which the jury evaluated recordings produced and entered by radio stations. The final became a multiplex event broadcast live, with the participating choirs performing via satellite from their homeland and the jury in the city of the organizing radio station.
Third phase (2001- ):
In 2001, the competition developed further since choirs were now invited to come to the final to appear live on stage. The final consists of choirs competing on stage or via satellite from their hometown. The competition thus has become more or less a choral festival with concerts in the days surrounding the final. This has made the organizing job quite a big one, and since the EBU has had no money to put into the project, the third party, e.g. the South Bank Centre in London, has become important. The choirs must pay their own costs, and there is no money to win in the competition. This is a problem still to be solved.
The final
Today the final is a major event with around ten choirs participating live or via satellite. The atmosphere of the final is intense and the musical level very high. The winners of the different categories are announced during the broadcast. It has developed into a very exciting radio programme. The final is offered as a three-hour live concert to EBU Members.
The competition in the future
Through the years, hundreds of choirs and thousands of singers have participated in Let the Peoples Sing, and through their participation they have learned about EBU activities, while radio organizations have been provided high-quality programming with choral music representing many countries and traditions . For the first time in its history, the 2011 LTPS will be also open for choirs that exclusively perform music of particular cultural traditions or styles (e.g. Folksong, Gospel, Barbershop, Jazz, Traditional music, etc).
Essential for the future of the competition is the participation of all/many EBU Members.
The choirs themselves cannot apply to participate. It is up to the radio broadcasters to select, record and enter choirs in the competition. The future of the competition therefore relies on the interest of radio stations - second only to the interest amongst choirs. Consequently, it is very important to make radio stations interested and to ensure that information about the competition reaches the right people in all organizations.
