TV choir concert language divide

Ysgol Glanaethwy were beaten by Only Men Aloud! in the televised final

A school choir that made the final of the BBC's Last Choir Standing contest faced boos and slow claps in a row over the use of Welsh to introduce songs.

The Ysgol Glanaethwy youngsters were performing at Llandudno's Venue Cymru.

Some audience members complained they could not understand what was being said during breaks between numbers.

When conductor Cefin Roberts spoke in English after the interval there were sarcastic applause from the English speakers and boos from Welsh speakers.

The Welsh speakers were annoyed about the initial complaints.

The Bangor-based school choir were runners-up in the BBC One television contest last year and were performing as part of their 18th anniversary celebrations.

Cefin Roberts is the conductor and co-founder of the choir

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Mr Roberts said: "It was quite a strange experience more than anything else, having been told during the interval that there had been complaints from the audience that I had not been speaking enough English.

"I didn't intend to do anything apart from maybe explaining a few more of the songs in English during the second half.

"I got a little bit upset actually when I started speaking in English and welcoming everybody back to the second half and some members of the audience started applauding in quite a strange kind of way.

"I had to explain to the rest of the audience 'some of you had asked me during the interval to speak a little more English' and when I explained that other people started shouting that that was a disgrace."

Mr Roberts said it was bi-lingual concert with songs performed in English, Welsh and other languages.

"When we did our concert last December at the Millennium Centre we did not have any complaints on the evening but we did have a couple of letters," he added.

"Obviously it was a bit of a shock that you can't speak your own language in your own country at your own concert."

Venue General Manager Sarah Ecob: "We are aware of comments made by the audience on the night and we are investigating the matter further."