President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday recognized seven chorale groups for recently winning in international competitions and granted them P200,000 each.
During the Gintong Parangal Honoring the Champion Choirs of 2024, Marcos lauded the chorale groups, saying that they have shown music, an important Filipino culture, to the world.
“It is not any music that we are now promoting. It’s Filipino music,” Marcos said during his speech.
“What you have participated in are amongst the most coveted and rigorous in the entire world, drawing only the finest vocal on songs to their ranks. To emerge victorious in these arenas is to have achieved a distinction reserved for the most exceptional,” he added.
The first chorale group to be recognized was the University of Philippines Manila Chorale (UPMC), who clinched the Grand Prix champion at the 59th Prof. Jan Szyrocki International Choral Festival in Miedzyzdroje, Poland.
In the competition, UPMC won the main Mai Amber Halo of St. Peter the Apostle – Musica Sacra Category and received two gold diplomas in the Musica Sacra Category and Mixed Category.
The Quezon City Performing Arts (QCPA) Development Foundation Concert Chorus was the second chorale group to be recognized.
They were hailed as the Champion of the World Choir Games Mixed Chamber Choirs Category in the Champions Competition in Auckland, New Zealand.
They also clinched the gold medal in the mixed chorale category and the sacred choral music with accompaniment category.
The president also honored the Sola Gratia Chorale as they emerged as the Grand Prix Champion at the Singapore International Choral Festival 2024.
The Sola Gratia Chorale also obtained gold awards in the mixed voices, musica sacra, and folklore categories during the competition.
The president then recognized the University of Mindanao Chorale, who was hailed as the Grand Prix champion at the 2024 Taipei International Choral Festival in Taiwan.
They also won the mixed and musica sacra categories and qualified for the 2025 World Choral Championship.
Following the University of Mindanao Chorale, the president honored the Los Cantantes De Manila, who is the Grand Prix champion at the 72nd Concorso Polifónico Internazionale Guido d’Arezzo in Italy.
They won first prize in the sacred, secular, and obligatory categories.
The Los Cantantes De Manila also qualified for the 2025 European Grand Prix for Chorale Singing.
The sixth to be recognized was the IMUSICAPELLA.
They were hailed as the Grand Prix champion at the 2024 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Hungary and the International Baltic Sea Choir Competition in Latvia.
They also qualified for the 2025 European Grand Prix for Chorale Singing.
Lastly, Marcos honored the University of Santo Tomas Singers for achieving the Grand Prix champion at the 10th Edward Grieg International Choir Festival in Norway.
They won first prize in the mixed choir category and second prize in the folk music category.
At the end of the awarding ceremony, the chorale groups sang “Kumukutikutitap” and “Pilipinas kong Mahal.” — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News
