The Final BBC Cardiff Singer of the World

For a week, this famous concert hall has been filled with the sound

We've witnessed performances of rare power and beauty from 20

thrilling new artists, all invited to Cardiff

Five young talents who will compete in one of the most hotly-anticipated

finals in this competition's long and distinguished history.

Welcome to BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017.

Every two years, the eyes of the opera world turn to Cardiff.

Many of today's leading opera singers first emerged here.

It is the number-1 composition of the world.

Nearly 400 singers entered this time, from 64 countries.

Amazing singers, voices, talent, here in musical country.

Already we've seen history made, with the award of joint

Both Song Prize winners compete in tonight's Grand Final

in a line-up that promises something very special.

Their challenge, to win the hearts and minds of a formidable

international jury. What happens next is totally in

their hands. The voice alone is not enough. Show what you can do. Sure

what is in you. You need to have the confidence, to draw the audience to

you. The stage is yours, make people happy.

The line-up promises something very special.

Five world-class voices, five very individual

They are Mongolian baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar,

Soprano Louise Alder from England, winner of the third round.

I feel very lucky to be here, I hope I sing as well as I can.

Round-four winner Kang Wang, a tenor representing Australia.

I could not wait to share my singing with the rest of the world, who will

be watching through television. Hello!

Our wild card, also from round four, Scottish mezzo Catriona Morison.

When my name was called, I was totally in shock.

And, last to sing the evening off, another baritone,

and winner of round one, Anthony Clark Evans from the USA.

Hopefully I can maybe win, that would be great, and put my name on

that with some of the great people that have won this can petition.

The opera world is waiting to find out who will be the next BBC Cardiff

Sauber. -- BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.

Welcome to St David's Hall for the last time this week.

I think we can promise a thrilling BBC Cardiff Singer

What a great way to spend a Sunday night.

Get the tea tray out, or the wine glasses,

Over the next two and half hours, famous arias

from Rossini's Barber of Seville, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin

and Strauss' Rosenkavalier, alongside Leoncavallo and Lehar

As well as crowning a new Cardiff Singer of the World,

we'll also learn the winner of the Dame Joan

Lines are now closed, but you can still have your say

on tonight's finalists on our Facebook page and on Twitter,

You can also follow our special live blog at bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger

to find out what's going on behind the scenes here, with on-the-spot

analysis from Scottish tenor Nicky Spence and 2013 winner

Joining me this evening, two people who know all about the pressures

Direct from her triumphant debut at the Vienna State Opera,

where she has been singing one of her signature roles,

Norina in Don Pasquale, it's great to welcome back

the acclaimed soprano Danielle de Niese.

And alongside her, the bass baritone Gerald Finley,

who features on a new stamp in his homeland, Canada,

and yesterday was appointed a Commander of the British Empire

in the Queen's birthday honours list.

We will hear such a range tonight, somebody who was here last night,

somebody you have worked with in Chicago, someone else who is sinking

in houses across Europe, why risk it all on a platform like this?

Competitions are great exposure for young singers, no matter what

happens tonight all who wins, all of these finalists will have been seen

on the world stage, they will have work, they have been hugely

successful, but we are not just looking for people who can sing, we

are looking for an artist. You avoided competitions. I find them

very stressful. I did not always sync my desk in that circumstance, I

try to make the most impression on the stage. We look forward to

hearing your thoughts and analysis. If you are with us for the first

time tonight, where have you been? Each night this week,

the American soprano Angel Blue and I have been introducing some

great performances, and we've been joined by vocal coach

and singer Mary King. Right now, Angel and Mary are

together just in front of the stage. We have had a wonderful week, and

excitement is buzzing around backstage.

We have a soprano, mezzo, tenor and two baritones

I have had the pleasure of speaking with Mary, what are you looking

forward to tonight? It is hard to say, everybody is singing good

repertoire that suits them, and I think they will all do very well. I

am very glad I am not the jury. I am as well!

Well, we're now just a few minutes from the first competitor.

No surprise that St David's Hall is packed tonight.

Agents, directors and producers here amongst an audience

But the reality is our singers will be aiming their performances

They are Grammy award-winning Korean soprano Sumi Jo,

If you participate at this level because you have a short window, you

can make mistakes. The renowned Austrian baritone

Wolfgang Holzmair... This is singing at the highest

standard, you do not have one moment to relax. You are kind of naked on

the stage. What is it that they can do that is

most impressive? Internationally-acclaimed Estonian

conductor Anu Tali. It is extreme pressure, but if one

can try to make the music come through .Mac .Mac --. Mac.

And chairing the jury, artistic director of

The most important thing is they are delivering a message from one human

being to another. The Cardiff Singer jury, making that

all-important decision tonight. On stage is the BBC

National Orchestra of Wales, one of our two competition

orchestras, who have shared the responsibility

of accompanying our singers throughout the week with

the Welsh National Opera orchestra. We are live on BBC Four this

evening, and also on BBC Two Wales, and we welcome listeners

to BBC Radio 3. Already victorious in this year's

Song Prize, 29-year-old Mongolian What does it mean to have won the

song price? TRANSLATION: I sang with many strong competitors, I did not

expect to win, it was Ed Dickson prize an amazing feeling. How do you

feel, representing Mongolia here at the World Cup of opera singing? Of

course, it is a fantastic feeling, I know that my teachers, my fellow

singers and the people of Mongolia are behind me. When I hear them and

outs Mongolia on stage, it gives me encouragement, and in my heart and

soul I feel that I can do it. I think that the challenges that I

have faced have prepared me for the world famous Cardiff stage. But I

think about my life journey and reflected in my sinking, the truth

comes out in the melody. Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar

from Mongolia waits Tonight he sings a programme

of Rossini, Tchaikovsky and, to open, the clown Tonio's aria

from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. A troupe of clowns are performing

in Calabria in southern Italy. Tonio, one of their number,

stands in front of the curtain to deliver the prologue,

asking the audience to remember that what they are about to see is not

just a play, but a story Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar,

accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

and conductor Tomas Hanus. Thomas is the Czech music director

of Welsh National Opera. Lets get an immediate reaction. A

wonderful piece of character singing. I am thrilled he would

choose that piece to open the programme. A great opener to the

opera. He will now sing. Prince Yeletsky's aria from

Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades next. The prince pouring out his emotions

to his beloved Lisa, telling her that he loves

her beyond reckoning. He sang that aria at Buckingham

Palace after winning the Tchaikovsky competition.

Prince Charles sent a letter of thanks afterwards.

He is going to include his performance here at Carter singer

with one of opera's best loved arias, Largo Al Factotum.

the Sevillian barber, sings his own praises

No better Mr Fixit to be found anywhere in Seville.

APPLAUSE The 29-year-old Mongolian baritone

Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar. Started singing at 18 but left college after

two years unable to continue his studies. He worked as a taxi driver.

And Labour are, and one night, he had a chance fair, picking up the

chief of police. He suggested he joined the police ensemble and that

got him singing professionally again. He is still a captain in the

Mongolian police force. Perhaps the first policemen we have had singing

at Cardiff Singer. A glorious lyrical tone.

Beautiful, rich sound, easy all the way up the range. Being first is a

double-edged sword, you do not have a temperature reading of the public,

but on the other hand, you do not have the experience of becoming

nervous. He came out and set the bar for everybody else. A mighty voice,

does that sometimes cause problems when you have those fast runs? That

is the challenge for all singers, if you have a big instrument, you try

to gain flexibility, he played to his strengths in that group, because

it was mostly long lines, and when the showmanship was needed for the

Figaro, he did a really good job. What about the Tchaikovsky? There

was real emotion. He can in note, that we can see. He had a queue

intonation problems, which the judges will contribute to nerves,

and all of that personality, I would have liked to have seen more, but he

has got it within him. He has won over many hearts.

Well, let's get his thoughts now, he's with Angel.

Bravo, how did it feel to begin the competition?

TRANSLATION: It was quite amazing, and at the same time it was

nerve-racking. After the second song, I came back to my normal self

and enjoyed it. Bravo, and best of luck. Thank you! Let's meet our

second competitor. Representing England,

let's meet 30-year-old Louise, congratulations on making it

through. How do you feel? Really excited, genuinely excited. It is

really fun, being out there. What does it mean to represent England?

It means a lot, I love London, where I am from, and I love England very

much, but I feel very European, so I think it is more a celebration of

music and of culture and art. What a fantastic platform to showcase what

people love to do around the world, classical sinking. No other

competition, apart from Eurovision, maybe... This is the classical

Eurovision! No other competition brings so many different

nationalities together, the Mongolians are a hoot! Meeting

singers from all over the world is really cool, you can share

experiences and talk about what is hard about the career and what is

different between each country. It is fascinating. I am very happy for

you, and looking forward to hearing you sing. I can't wait. My final

repertoire is kind of like a party. I am really looking forward to it.

So to open her performance this evening, Elvira's aria from Act Two

Elvira is daughter of the commander of a Puritan stronghold under threat

from royalist troops ? one of whom, Arturo, she is in love with.

The English sopranos starting her entry sinking from Bellini. Her

conductor is conducting his own orchestra, the BBC Orchestra of

Wales. Danielle? That is how do show the audience and the judges what you

are made of, that is difficult. I am very impressed.

Next that rare thing at Cardiff Singer,

a contemporary opera, Andre Previn's Streetcar

Named Desire, based on Tennessee Williams' play.

Renee Fleming created the role of Blanche Dubois when the work

Blanche confessing to Mitch, who she hopes will

become her husband, that she doesn't always tell

the truth, but rather what should be the truth.

# That's what I try to give to people.

# But I tell what ought to be the truth.

# Magic's what I try to give to people.

# If that's a sin, if that is such a sin, then let me be damned for it!

# It'll all look so ugly in that light.

# Why not see by candlelight, or moonlight, or starlight?

Louise Alder, singing to the Cardiff Singer world jury, I Want Magic from

Streetcar Named Desire by Andrei Prepelita. She is a big fan of Renee

Fleming. APPLAUSE

Giuditta. He ran away to North Africa and

became a nightclub hostess and reckons all men find her

irresistible. Ending her entry in this final, singing from Lehar's

1934 opera Giuditta. She is good friends with a former winner, Jamie

Barton, and was wavering about whether to enter and Jamie Barton

told Louise she would be an idiot not to have a go. And what an

extraordinary week Louise has had in Cardiff. Singing last night in

Rosenkavalier at Welsh National Opera and the Song Prize final the

night before. Two other appearances. You could not do that unless your

voice was in the right place. She has got it all sorted out. This is

quite an extraordinary performance and generosity. She is born for that

stage. I enjoyed it so much. She has an incredible technical grasp. So

happy for everything she accomplished this week. She is

wonderful to look at, expressive. You do not take your eyes off her.

She has a sense of languages, she showed us three to night. I do not

think it could be better. It was a journey from the limpid tones in the

Bellini and entering the deep South. The accent sounded good. It sounded

perfect to me. One of the goals of Cardiff is to be able to show the

judges all of what you can do, all the facets and colours. It is one

thing to have a gorgeous instrument, it is another to employ vocal

colour. I love to the Lehar. Could it have been heavy for her voice?

What I found was wonderful that she had throughout the whole programme,

the leap into the Previn. The contemporary. I was not bothered by

the lightness. Let's go backstage now. Louise is with Angel.

Just a great programme. Streetcar Named Desire is not always

performed, why did you choose it? Especially not in the UK, I don't

think. I was looking on YouTube and found amazing recording of Renee

Fleming in the original production written for her. I fell in love and

thought it was magical. It shows a lot of different sparkling high

notes, or it should! That's why I had a stab at the American accent.

Best of luck. Welcome, if you have just joined us

here at St David's Hall this Sunday night,

and the final of BBC Let us know your thoughts

on what we have heard so far, When I was little I hated opera.

Because my parents are singers and I grew up listening to opera. I loved

music. I was quite rebellious. When I was a teenager. Whatever my

parents do, I hate! Then I watched a movie starring Mario Lanza. When I

was 17. I thought maybe I could sing. You seem very composed when

you are singing. I think the pressure of Cardiff Singer of the

world, the biggest competition, but you have maintained a stillness. I

try. How do you maintain that? I have a tendency to go all over the

place and demote all over the place. If at that moment you felt you were

giving your heart and the audience felt, what is going on? If you are

composed, the emotion from the audience came from themselves and

they view it intensely. If you keep still and composed, it gives more

impact. Kang Wang will start singing from the Donazetti opera Lucia di

Lammermoor. Edgardo prepares to fight

to the death in a duel He has heard that Lucia

is marrying another and can't Let's get an immediate response.

That was breathtaking. If you are watching at home, stop what you are

doing and press record. A considerably incredible, a wonderful

combination of so many ingredients that can manifest themselves into

sound. Clearly winning the hearts of the audience. There is a reason

behind it, it is a wonderful start. Born in China, his family moved to

Darwin in northern Australia, where he grew up.

Started his studies in Australia, then at the Royal Northern College

of Music in Manchester, and is now on the Lindemann Young

Artist Development Program at New York's Metropolitan Opera.

He thinks his performance was a bit too slow.

Lensky challenged Onegin to a duel in response to his advances

on Lensky's fiancee, Olga.

Now, on the morning of the duel, Lensky looks back on his happy youth

He realises that he will probably die in the duel and that he does not

The only great loss in his death would be that he would

Our third finalist, Kang Wang, 29-year-old Australian tenor.

Graduated as a computer programmer, who used to sing as a hobby, but now

is the reverse, he programmes for fun and he sings around the world.

Taught by Joseph Ward, the great singing teacher from Preston,

founder of the opera school in Manchester and now

Dedicated to pushing forward a new generation of Australian singers,

like Kang Wang. Not talking to me me, I'm talking to them, he says.

That gives you a clue as to his final aria.

He closes his programme with an aria that may once again steel

Mimi has lost her key in the dark, Rodolfo finds it

Her hand is like ice but a love affair kindles.

Kang Wang, from Australia, sinking in Cardiff Singer of the World.

Kang Wang first applied in 2811 and did not get through but kept on

applying and he is here on his fourth application. And he is in the

final. His father himself facing describes this competition as being

the Olympics of singing. Kang Wang take the goal is to night? Lisa

Gasteen won Cardiff Singer for Australia in 1991. Could he be the

second. His wife is expecting their child,

a daughter, in September. Let's find out what our guests made

of that. You just never felt anything was going to go wrong,

absolute confidence. Absolute confidence, absolute sincerity, he

is full of his own personality and lives each role. It is tremendous,

again. A generous performer and very secure in himself. What a charmer.

What is rare about someone like him is that the emotive finesse is there

but what is rare is that he lets himself feel the music in a way that

if we watched him tomorrow it might be different. I think the ability to

let music live within you and to allow that to come out on a bed of

sound that feels like it came from an emotion and not something mapped

out ahead of time. I think that is the authenticity that makes you a

real artist. It is a big voice. You do not always get that on the

television when watching, but he will sing Rodolfo in America later

this season, big opera houses he will have no problem filling. The

sound was ringing around the hall. In the Bellini, at the beginning,

yes, at the beginning. The Donizetti. Really, the power of the

emotion, it was contacting every audience member. We can join him

with Angel. You are wonderful, I love your voice

so much. Obviously the audience loves you. How does that feel, the

wonderful reception? It felt great. The first time in a final of the

competition this big. Yes. Great. I did not, I am sorry, I did not

really think about me me. I was only talking to the audience -- Mimi.

Thank you. Back to you Petroc. This year, six mezzos

made it to Cardiff. Just one has reached

the final, 31-year-old She didn't actually win her round,

but was the wild-card choice of the jury to join the other four

contenders tonight. You are the wild card and you will

be singing in the final, how does it feel? The opportunity to sing once

more for the judges and audience is wonderful and it is wonderful

friends from where I am based in Germany, all around the world, will

be able to tune in, as well. When you are singing I notice you have a

unique way of keeping the atmosphere. Do you work on that, do

you practise it? You cannot really practice it because if you practise,

it is fake. I think it has to be so real and truthful and part of it is

living off the atmosphere in the hall. I do quite a lot of silent

practice. I can imagine the emotion and connection to the text and I

think that helps and it's great, because I do not have to sing and I

rest my voice. What does it mean to be representing Scotland in this

competition? As a proud Scot, it means everything. I am honoured to

be here and the fact I am representing Scotland is fantastic.

I hope I am doing them proud. She begins this evening in a trouser

role, a woman singing a man, Tancredi, a banished member

of the royal family, returns from exile and sings

of his beloved. Little does he know that she's

been promised to another Catriona Morison, mezzo soprano,

singing for Scotland. Another trouser role next

from Catriona Morison. Count Octavian, a young nobleman,

sings of his passion for the older, They have just made love,

he adores her beyond words. A graduate of the National

Conservatoire of Scotland, one of three of our singers this

week to have studied there. Next, an aria from Ravel's L'heure

espagnole, his one-act opera about a clockmaker whose unfaithful

wife Conception is While he is away winding

the town's timepieces, two of her lovers turn up

at the same time, each ending up How useless her lovers

are, she declares. She is already a winner here, the

co-winner of the song prize. Will she make it a double?

Catriona is going to close her programme with Dido's Lament

Dido is dying of a broken heart after her lover Aeneas has been

# Darkness shades me, on thy bosom let me rest.

# More I would, but Death invades me.

# May my wrongs create no trouble, no trouble in thy breast.

# May my wrongs create no trouble, no trouble in thy breast.

Catriona Morison, sinking from Dido and NAS.

Catriona is a member of the ensemble at Wuppertal Opera in Germany,

and has sung in many of the country's opera houses,

including Nordhausen, Erfurt and Weimar.

Germany has 83 publicly-funded opera houses, many dating back

to the country's old patchwork of duchies and principalities.

Over 7,000 opera performances take place in Germany in an average year,

Lettuce talk to my guests Gerald Finley and Danielle de Niese. What a

beautifully crafted set of works. That could not have been a better

entry for a competition like this? It showed complete versatility. Big

demands for her, to go through all of those emotions and technical

challenges. I think she did a really good job. Conception is a role

familiar to you? That is right. I did think Conception at

Glyndebourne. It is interesting, it was the only piece that addressed a

different side of her flavour. She is a thoughtful performer. In the

case of the Ravel aria, it does not have any sense of form and Ravel was

playing with form when he wrote this and it is moody, an erratic piece.

Pent-up. There is a lot of frustration. I was curious she took

a laid-back tempo and in a way that was probably right for her

temperament. It matched the programme. In the first round people

thought what she sang might be dark but Octavia was perfect. She seemed

very confident in the passionate, post loving mood. LAUGHTER.

A good place to be! We can go backstage.

The colours in your voice are magical and you create an atmosphere

on stage, you are an actress. You seem to be having fun. Were you

having a good time? I loved that, so exciting, a range of different

characters. I felt I got to let loose. It was really enjoyable. It

was enjoyable for us. I wish you luck, honey.

Now on to our final singer in this year's Cardiff Singer competition,

32-year-old baritone Anthony Clark Evans from the USA.

Your presentation was stellar in the first round. How calm and

comfortable you were. Do you work on that? Is it natural? I have never

been nervous about singing and music. As soon as I got comfortable

with my technique, everything else followed. There is no reason to be

nervous. I was selling cars five years ago. I will never forget, the

first time I asked the right question to a stage director, what

kind of personality with this character have? He said you are a

car salesman, sell me this aria. It clicked. Sometimes when I sold cars

I would say this car is good, but this other one, it is more

expensive, but it gets better mileage. In the car sales industry

they call it on stage, offstage. There you go. A wonderful reception

from the audience. They were kind of crazy, I loved it. They were more

energetic than most of the audiences back home. I really enjoyed that.

Anthony Clark Evans has had a long wait. Winner of the first round this

week and last tonight. He will perform in Chicago next

year. Riccardo. Distraught his beloved Elvira loves another. He

fears he has lost her for good. Anthony Clark Evans. Thomas

Sondergard was his conductor. From Kentucky. He says one of his

passions is the odd glass of Kentucky bourbon. Wagner next.

Tannhauser. Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar of Mongolia

opened this Cardiff Singer final with Tonio's aria

from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci The last notes have been sung in the

final of Cardiff Singer of the World 2017. The baritone from Kentucky,

Anthony Clark Evans. A graduate of the Chicago Opera

Young Singers Programme. The first classical recording

he ever bought was Bryn's The two men met this week

when Sir Bryn came to his Song Prize When he left the United States, his

passport was completely blank, he had never before been overseas. I

think he made the right decision, to get on the plane. He is wonderful,

we have worked together. What you see is what you get, he is exactly

like that of the stage, a big personality with a big voice. You

can feel how he sold the last aria, it suits his personality, as well as

his dramatic rep. You were listening to him sinking with his mouth open.

It is lovely to see a younger artist really taking on big sinking. This

was a lovely performance. What is fascinating, we have heard two

baritones with the same range, and yet completely different. They do

have different personalities. There is a lot of talent on display this

evening, and one thing I have noticed in comparison to other years

is that vocally there is a lot of even, fantastic, technically sound

sinking. It will be up to all of the other qualities that the judges will

be looking at. We will get your opinions later, but it is still

clock's night, he is backstage. Bravo, really great. You were the

first person to win in round one, what has been going through your

mind? Drink a lot of water! Don't drink any beer! How do you feel that

the audience received due? They received me well. I do different

stuff, because I think people have been catching up on who the round

one guy was, so I try to change it up a little bit. A fantastic job,

really excited for you. That concludes our backstage interviews.

I'm now joined by chairman of the jury and Welsh National

Opera's artistic director, David Pountney.

And patron of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition,

What a great final. I cannot remember a better one in your time.

I hoped we would have something like this. It is really starting their

major international career, and fantastic for the rest of the world

to see these singers. You will have a tough task, you will go to the

Viscount Tony Pandy room, how do you decide? What is the process? The

first process is to rank the five singers from one to five. If you are

lucky, that yields a clear result. Very often, it does not. If there is

a draw? You have to vote again, and discussion takes place. Initially it

is just a matter of, put down what your instinct told you. But if that

has to be rejigged or re-voted on, debate can be intense. What we have

seen tonight is proof of the wonderful showcase that this is, a

chance for new talent to be spotted. Exactly. It has always been there,

but now we are getting so many other countries that are interested in

classical music, they study it amazingly, and the Internet does

amazing things as well. I hope you will not keep us waiting too long!

We will let you go and join your fellow jurors.

This is the tenth time I have presented Cardiff Singer.

As ever, it's been a revelatory week.

Listening to and watching singers of so many different styles,

I'm sure, like me, you established your favourites.

Some of mine are through tonight, some not.

And I know it's the same for Angel and Mary, who got

There are always some standout moments. For me, Anthony Clark Evans

was the first, spine tingling top notes.

Because his technique is so solid, his voice is even throughout, from

the top to the bottom. I am fickle, and I have a bit of previous with

Mongolian baritones. He was the most exciting, he he pulls his entire

being in it, I can listen to him sing all day. And all night. One of

the moments I adored was with Lee, you knew all of the top Cs would be

nailed, he was looking forward to showing off, and he did.

I cannot say enough good things about Louise's sinking, she was

poised, in complete control, and she is also in control of the orchestra.

She breeds clearly so the conductor knows when to bring the orchestra

in. Also, seeing that many fast notes with such clear articulation,

and looking so effortless as she does it, fantastic.

I love tennis, they are like sopranos, but a tenor like Kang

Wang, the stage presence, his performance was dedicated to his

wife, and that came across in just about every song. And by singing to

one person, your whole audience received that love. I really think

he is very special. Angel and Mary's review of the week

and I guess nobody has been closer to the action that angel and Mary,

both professional singers, and they are with me now from prompt corner.

This is an amazing final. It is a fantastic final. Absolutely

brilliant. I do not know how the jury can possibly make... We have

lost Mary. I think we got a sense of her excitement. Mary has been coming

to the competition, ten, 12 years. Are you back with us? I am sorry. I

have been coming here for sometime and I think this is the best final

we have ever had, brilliant. Difficult to choose a winner. Angel,

your thoughts on what we have seen tonight and this week? I am happy

for all of the singers. I have made friends with them, all 20 from the

last week. It is a gruelling process they have been through and I am

proud of them and hope to see them on the world's biggest and greatest

stages. Reiterate the friendly nature of competition. You have seen

singers backstage patting each other on the back, checking each other's

health, getting gifts or each other. There is a lot of love. That

camaraderie helps the spirit of the competition. Everybody competing for

the prize, but all these singers at some point in their career will see

each other again onstage and today they have made friends here, out in

the world they will have friends there, so a great start for them.

And for me. A wonderful example of how to be with our cast. Last brief

question, Mary, did you shed a tear to night? I was in great control

throughout. I do not know if that is good or bad. That was good. Lovely

to have you with us in Cardiff. We are very close to a result and I

gather the jury has arrived backstage. Before we hear from the

jury, and I ask Jerry and Danielle, let's remind ourselves of the

finalists this evening. From Mongolia, Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar.

And then it was the turn of hard-working English soprano Louise

Alder. From Australia, Kang Wang, the

tenor, who warmed hearts here. Then singing for Scotland, mezzo

soprano Catriona Morison. And finally, once he sold used cars.

Now he delights audiences in Cardiff. Baritone Anthony Clark

Evans. One of those singers will very

shortly be crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017. Danielle

de Niese, Gerald Finley, the jury have a difficult task. They do. It

has been an evening of fantastic singing and nobody has made

mistakes. We got to see an evening of talent. The real question I think

will be who has everything? Can anyone have everything in a

competition like this? I think so. Whether we all feel we have attained

everything to 100%, the perfection we seek, is part of being an artist.

When you are in an audience, you have a feeling on your skin, when

you encounter an artist who gives you everything, and moves you. It is

time to put you on the spot. Do you have a winner? It has been an

exhibition tonight of a wonderful range of talent. They are all

winners for me. I am not sure that is good enough. If you press... Just

that the joy and radiance of her singing, I would say Louise. Do you

have a winner? To be different, I will go with Kang Wang. He was

moving. I felt he had everything in terms of being a great performer and

artists. There are two tips. Gerald Finley reckons it will be Louise

Alder and Danielle de Niese reckons it is Kang Wang. I wonder what the

jury thought. I think they are at the side of the stage and about to

make their way on. We will go backstage to see them preparing.

There they are, the eminent Cardiff Singer 2017 jury. APPLAUSE

And here they come onto the St David's Hall stage. Kiri Te Kanawa,

David Pountney, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, the director-general of

the BBC, who will announce the first winner because we have two prizes.

The Audience Prize will come first. Anu Tali. Grace Bumbry, Sumi Jo,

Wolfgang Holzmair. I am delighted to be here in this wonderful constant

hall -- concert Hall. I would like to thank two superb orchestra as we

have enjoyed this week. APPLAUSE The Welsh National Opera Orchestra

and the orchestra behind me, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Thanks

also to the two conductors, Thomas Sondergard and Tomas Hanus. APPLAUSE

Thank you both for your support and skill in accompanying our singers.

Today, Cardiff Singer is rightly regarded as one of the world's most

important music competitions. It is the result of a remarkable and

long-standing partnership between BBC Wales, Welsh National Opera, and

the city and County of Cardiff. This past week has seen extensive

coverage across BBC services here in the UK and internationally. Thanks

to an array of digital media. As well as offering audiences the

opportunity to enjoy the remarkable talents of so many gifted singers,

the BBC has also given viewers and listeners and online users the

chance to choose their winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize.

The prize, which is supported by the University of Cardiff School of

music, reflects the view of audiences in St -- St David's Hall

and in the UK, for the singer who impressed them in the concert

rounds. The winner of the prize and check for ?2500 is Louise Alder.

APPLAUSE That will come with great delight to

Louise Alder's many fans in Cardiff and further afield. Cardiff, which

has been her home in the past seven weeks as she rehearsed and starred

in the Welsh National Opera production of Rosenkavalier.

Creating this hectic schedule for her. Two finals, two rounds, two

performances of Rosenkavalier. Tony Hall, the director-general of the

BBC, shaking her hand. And it is Councillor Bob Darbyshire,

presenting her with the Dame Joan Sutherland audience trophy. Voted

for by you, viewers, listeners, to Cardiff Singer of the World. This is

the prize. The jury have no say in it. Now we come to the big prize.

Very well-deserved. There is a lovely phrase in the song

Louise San, the Andre Previn song, magic, that is what I try to give to

people. My goodness, these people have given us some magic over these

last few days. APPLAUSE

And to find out in a very closely calibrated group who just about gave

the most magic, Dame Kiri, please, come and tell us.

May I say it has been a privilege and honour since the last Cardiff

Singer of the World, we always have thoughts of what would happen in the

next, and here we are, 2017, the winner of the Cardiff Singer of the

World from Scotland to... CHEERING No more needs to be said.

It is Catriona Morison, the 31-year-old mezzo soprano. She did

not win her round, but she got the wild card position in this final.

And she sang her way this evening to victory. Performing Rossini,

Strauss, Ravel and Henry Purcell. She makes her way down the judges.

Sumi Jo, Anu Tali, the Estonian conductor. Letters get a response to

that from Danielle de Niese. Gosh, what a fantastic scream from the

audience. Upon hearing Catriona Morison. That is amazing. She is a

thoughtful Singer and she put in a lot of personality. To her

interpretations. Gerald Finley. She is a thoughtful artist and full of

passion. She will have a very interesting career. Very emotional

right now. Thank you for joining us. A great end to BBC Cardiff Singer of

the World 2017. And if you're after more and you're

in Wales, stay with us, BBC Two Wales continues

with all the reaction If you're elsewhere in the UK,

watch via the website - From all of us here at

St David's Hall in Cardiff. Catriona Morison, the 2017 BBC

Cardiff Singer of the World. # Work it harder

Make it better # Do it faster

Makes us stronger... # I want to, like,

hang out with you guys.