Competitors from all over the world have gathered for the International Musical Eisteddfod at Llangollen in north Wales.

The festival - established in 1947- has a new competition this year, the Llangollen International Singer contest with a first prize of �15,000.

Twenty singers aged between 18 and 26, from a number of countries, have been chosen to take part in the semi finals of the competition at the International Royal Pavilion on Monday.

The singers represent Australia, Belgium, England, Hawaii, Iceland, Norway, Romania, Russia, Samoa, South Africa, Sweden, the USA and Wales.

The judges are the soprano Dame Margaret Price, Elaine Padmore, director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and music critic Hugh Canning.

Five singers will take part in the final round on Friday.

The Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra led by Yves Abel from Quebec will be providing the accompaniment.

'Very high standard'

Tenor Dennis O'Neill and bass Robert Lloyd have chosen the young singers.

"The standard of the competitors was very high," said Dennis O'Neill. "This promises to be an exciting competition.

"It is an unique event because it concentrates on young singers, and Wales and the Eisteddfod should be proud of it."

Robert Lloyd said: "The competition is of a particularly good standard, not only in respect of the number of countries taking part, but in the standard of the competitors' voices."

Star contributions

There will be 21 competitions in the Eisteddfod, which continues until 9 July.

There will be a special concert featuring the Red Army Ensemble and a concert featuring the mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina and the baritone Dmitri Hvorotsky.

The eisteddfod, held in the small Dee Valley town of Llangollen, has been held every year since 1947 when it was set up as a means of promoting international harmony in the wake of the Second World War.

It has adapted the traditional Welsh format of a music and dance competiton and has broadened it out to embrace an international audience.