Manila Chamber Singers wins silver in Beijing choral competition

 

The Manila Chamber Singers brought honor to the Philippines by winning two prizes at the 8^th China International Chorus Festival held in Beijing on 14-17 July 2006.

 

The group, which performed Filipino, Chinese and European choral pieces, won Second Prize in the Intermediate Age Group category and the Excellence Prize for Rendition of a Chinese Piece in the competition.   

 

The competition was organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the Beijing Tourism Administration, and the China Arts and Entertainment Group.  It was one of the activities for the Fourth “Beijing 2008” Olympic Cultural Festival.  More than 30 choirs from China and around the world participated in the Festival.

 

Aside from competing in the Festival, the Manila Chamber Singers also performed at the Opening Ceremony and gave a gala performance on 15 July. 

 

The group, which sang a cappella most of the time and used ethnic instruments for the Filipino songs, was warmly applauded by the mostly-Chinese audience.  

 

The Manila Chamber Singers, led by Mr. Jules T. Noveras and conducted by Jose Emmanuel Aquino, was founded in 1999 by alumni of the University of the Philippines Manila Chorale and is composed of young professionals who share a passion for choral music.   It has represented the Philippines in international choral festivals where it has won various prizes.