SHINE, a Korean choir from Sydney, won the Australian Open Choral Championship prize of $5000 and the Divine Divas, of  Sunbury, took out the $4000 Open Popular Championship at the Australian National Eisteddfod, choirs division on Saturday night.

A new multicultural section, sponsored by the ACT Government’s Department of Multicultural and Aboriginal Affairs attracted seven choirs with Bel Cantara, an Indonesian choir from Sydney, winning the $1500 first prize.

Adjudicators were Jenny Moon, music director of Hillcrest Christian College on the Gold Coast and George Torbay, from the University of Ballarat and a judge on Channel 7’s “Battle of the Choirs”.

This was Dianne Anderson’s final year as choirs convener.

The full results are:

10 years and under: First, Queanbeyan Public School Intermediate Choir; second, Ngunnawal Primary School Junior Choir; highly commended: Jerrabomberra Senior Choir and Arawang Primary School Senior Choir.

12 years and under: First, Queanbeyan Public School Senior Choir; second, Trinity Christian School Junior Choir.

ACT 19 years and under high school/college: First: Daramalan College Choir; second, Radford Chorale.

19 years and under showcase: First, St Joseph’s Catholic College (Sydney).

19 years and under choir: First,  Canberra Girls’ Grammar School Gabriel Singers; second, St Joseph’s Catholic College Choir (Sydney).

Open sacred choral: First, Concordis Chamber Choir (Melbourne); second: Canberra Choral Society Chorus; highly commended,  Harambee (Melbourne)

Open Australia-Britain section: First, Concordis Chamber Choir; second, Canberra Choral Society Chorus.

Multicultural: First, Bel Cantare Choir (Sydney); second, Harambee.

12 years and under: First, Arawang Primary School Senior Choir; second, Jerrabomberra Senior Choir.

Open Popular Choir: First, Divine Divas of Sunbury (Melbourne); second, SunVOX Vocal Company (Melbourne); highly commended, Brindabella Chorus (Canberra).

Australian Open Choir: First, Shine (Sydney); second, Concordis Chamber Choir.