Mandaue Children’s Choir Gets Heroes’ Welcome after Topping Int’l. Singing Tilt in Germany
The Philippines was again honored on the international stage after the Mandaue Children’s Choir from Cebu topped an international choir competition in Germany last week.
Members of the choir received a welcome fit for young heroes at the Mactan International Airport, GMA Cebu’s Vic Serna reported Thursday.
A band, balloons and hugs from parents welcomed the children, who topped the 36th Internationales Kinderchor Festival (International Children’s Choir Festival) in Halle.
The International Children’s Choir Festival website indicated the Cebu-based choir shared top prize with the Lastivka choir from Ukraine.
Choirs from Germany, Italy, and South Korea also took part in the Germany tilt.
Organizers said the festival is one of the longest consecutively running festivals of its kind in Germany.
Held in the first weekend in May, it lasts four days and “offers a unique opportunity to children’s choirs from all over the world to meet and perform their music.”
Mandaue City Children’s Choir FB photo
“The choice of songs and programming … Dahil sa iba ang ating songs na ginamit, yun ang advantage na nagtagumpay tayo,” said musical director Maestro Dennis Gregory Sugarol.
“It was not an ordinary competition, competition yun sa iba’t ibang bansa,” added Consolacion, Cebu Mayor Teresa Alegado.
Aside from the competition in Germany, the choir from Cebu also represented the Philippines in events in Stockholm, Sweden.
It also represented the country in the Let the Future Sing and Youth Choir Festival.
The Mandaue Children’s Choir also fared prominently in tilts in Indonesia and Korea, and performed at the Taiwan International Music Festival.
For their part, the children were happy they gave honor to the Philippines.
“Continue ang iyong dreams at have hope always… don’t give up,” said choir member Anne Nicole Domugho.
“Even as young as now pwede mo palang mapa-proud yung Pilipinas,” added member Kristel Budomo.
But despite the fame they have earned, the choir members will continue to serve in the church as the choir of the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Pedro Calungsod.
“As in they are so amaz(ing), tapos parang hindi sila makapaniwala na meron palang ganitong choir, na they can sing and dance also,” said parent Sandra Sy.