Liverpool: St John Bosco choir wins first place in prestigious competition

Mar 27th, 2025

Choir with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon

St John Bosco Art College's choir recently achieved great success in the Catholic Schools' Choir of the Year competition, winning first place.

Twelve schools across the region entered the competition, and St John Bosco was selected as one of seven choirs to compete in the final.

The prestigious event, organised by Joe Watson, choral director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool, took place at the Metropolitan Cathedral in the beautiful crypt concert room. It was attended by other students, staff, parents, and members of the local community, who were captivated by the performers.

St John Bosco's talented choir passionately performed 'Hosanna' by Ligertwood and 'Shine' by Emeli Sandé, wowing the judges with their powerful voices.

In the final rankings, skilful choirs from St Edward's College and St Bede's Catholic High School placed second and third respectively, with every group receiving high praise for their talent and dedication.

The esteemed judging panel included Dr Christopher McElroy, director of music at the Metropolitan Cathedral, and Archdiocese of Liverpool choral directors Samuel J Ferry, Emma Baker and Rebekka Irwin.

Malcolm McMahon OP, the Archbishop of Liverpool, was the guest of honour and presented the prizes to the winners. Additionally, Monsignor Anthony O'Brien, Dean of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, was present to hear the choirs perform.

On the night, students also had the opportunity to come together with the other finalists to form a mass choir and perform a fantastic and inspiring rendition of 'Rhythm of Life', celebrating their achievement in reaching this stage of the competition.

St John Bosco's victory was a testament to their hard work, reflecting their commitment to working as a team and the importance of having hope and spreading love, something that the school community strives to do in all aspects of life.

This amazing success also follows the choir's recent appearance at last year's Educate Awards, in which it was invited to open and set the atmosphere for the night. Guests from schools and colleges across the North West were blown away by the students' voices.

The talented group continues to go from strength to strength, and the St John Bosco community is extremely proud.

Christine Finnegan, leader of the choir, said: "Winning this competition was an unforgettable experience for the children. The joy and pride they felt as their names were announced, the excitement of lifting the trophy, and the overwhelming sense of achievement made all their dedication and rehearsals worthwhile.

"Singing together, both in competition and as part of the mass choir, strengthened their confidence, teamwork, and love for music. It was a moment they will cherish forever."

Pauline Ellison, head of performing arts at St John Bosco Arts College, commented: "I would like to say a huge congratulations to Christine and our school choir on winning the Catholic Schools' Choir of the Year competition. The standards were outstanding, and our girls were truly exceptional.

"Well done to everyone and a big thank you to SLT and Anne, our chaplain for supporting the event. This truly meant a lot to our girls."

Joe Watson, who also hosted the night, said: "A huge congratulations to all schools, students and staff who participated in this year's competition. All schools performed with a confidence and enthusiasm that filled the concert hall with joy. In a time where musical education is not a priority amongst some pillars in our community, events like this show that quite the opposite is true.

"A music education is multi-skilled in developing a well-rounded student who can reach their full potential, and the confidence and enthusiasm the students performed with only shows this."

St John Bosco Arts College is located in Croxteth, Liverpool. The college is an exciting, vibrant and dynamic girls' Catholic comprehensive school with a proud Salesian ethos.