The Fira de Tots Sants Choral Contest was born in Cocentaina in 1981 as a result of the enthusiasm of a group of young people who 1977 founded the Cor Joves Cantors in 1977. .
Its objective was the dissemination of choral music beyond the musical performances of the newly constituted choir.
became the current Cor de Cambra Discantus, which was organising the event until the constitution of the Certamen Coral Fira de Tots Sants Association, an independent entity that currently centralises the organisation of the event..
Throughout its history it has hosted such outstanding groups as the Orfeó Universitari of Valencia, Cor de la Fundació “Pere Vergés” from Barcelona, Coro Kodaly de Molina de Segura, Coral Polifónica Turolense de Teruel, Coro del Instituto Aragonés de Zaragoza, Cor de Cambra de Valencia, Coral Renaixença de Barcelona, Coro Aizaga de Pamplona, Coral Universitaria de Murcia, Coral Jovenívola de Elche, Alaitz Abesbatza de Vitoria, Cor Cabanilles de la Schola Cantorum de Algemesí, el Grupo Vocal Siglo XXI, la Hodeiertz Abesbatz, Camerata Lacunensis, the Grupo Vocal Kromatika, el Coro de Cámara Ainur, Cor Ad Libitum de l’Escola Coral de Quart de Poblet or the Coro Aurum de Luanco (Asturias), among many others.
Since its inception it is linked to the celebration in the town of Cocentaina of the Fira de Tots Sants, fair of great roots in the Valencian Community, at the beginning of November each year since 1.346. The contest is scheduled on the weekend after the celebration of this traditional fair.
Promoting choral music written in Valencian language has been one of the unwavering objectives that we have set ourselves. . For this reason, the obligatory work that is commissioned each year has the lyrics in our language, often setting poems written in Valencian to music. In this way, commissions written by contemporary authors have been born that have contributed to enriching the choral repertoire in Valencian. This immense and continuous work for the promotion of choral music in our lands and the promotion of our Valencian language resulted in the awarding of our Contest the “28 Premi Joan Valls I Jordà for the use and promotion of Valencian”, in 2022.
The Federation of Choirs of the Valencian Community also awarded us in 2024 its FECOCOVA HONOR AWARD for his long career, for the promotion and dissemination of choral music, as well as the projection made throughout the country of the valencian coral world.
Since 2022 , the contest has been part of the circuit of the National Grand Prix of Choral Singing,, which consists of an annual choral contest where the winners of some of the country's greatest prestige choral competition meet, such as the Certamen de la Canción Marinera de San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabria), The Antonio José de Burgos Choral Festival, The Ciudad de Granada Contest and the Ejea de los Caballeros Choral Contest (Zaragoza). Besides, Cocentaina will be the site of the celebration of this event every 5 participate, becoming that year in the choral capital of the Spanish territory.
An example of the social support that the Fira de Tots Sants Choral Contest currently has is the active participation of the University of Alicante, the FECOCOVA and, of course, the Cocentaina City Council, Alicante Provincial Council and the Valencian Community Government.