YOU may be still in time to enter Sainsbury's Choir of the Year Competition, 1998.

There are three cash prizes of £2,000 each and three titles to be won, plus the overall title of Sainsbury's Choir of the Year.

The winners of the last title get an extra £1,000 cash plus the Sainsbury's Commission, worth £1,000, and a handcrafted conductor's stand.

The closing date for entries is Friday, January 9. Auditions will be held across the country during, March, April and May at 11 venues.

There will be auditions in Manchester on March 28 and 29.

Composer Howard Goodall will compere some of the auditions with warm-up sessions and workshops for everyone attending.

The semi-final and final stages of the competition will again be filmed by BBC Wales for nationwide broadcast on BBC2 over Christmas this year.

The three categories are: Youth Choirs (where the majority of members are aged 16 or under); Single Voice Choirs (for male or female adult voice choirs); Mixed Voice Choirs (for all choirs who sing a soprano/alto, tenor/bass repertoire).

The national selection stage will be in June and the semi-finals and finals will be held during a weekend in November.

Entry forms may be obtained from: Sainsbury's Choir of the Year, 2 Portland Road, Holland Park, London, W11 4LA, or call 0170 221 7883.

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