It's time for all Singaporeans to wave their flags and cheer because the Victoria Chorale has once again done Singapore proud at the Choir Olympics 2004. Held in Bremen, Germany, the event saw some 18,000 participants from more than 80 nations gathered in one place. Singapore secured seven Gold medals, of which two were garnered by the Victoria Chorale.
Hailed as the artistic counterpart to the sporting Olympics, the biennial Choir Olympics is steeped in the same ancient traditions – those of sportsmanship, the bridging of different languages in one cultural melting pot and the transcending of international borders in a peaceful manner. Currently in its third run since its inception in 2000, the Choir Olympics is the biggest choral competition in the world.
The Victoria Chorale, under the baton of award-winning choral director Mr. Nelson Kwei, struck Gold in each category it had competed in: "Folklore A Cappella" and "Mixed Youth Choirs". During the qualifying rounds, the Victoria Chorale was Category Winner in both categories, scoring 26.56 and 27.25 points respectively, out of a possible 30.
With its victories in the qualifying rounds, the choir advanced to the finals, where it competed against some of the finest choirs in the world. Showcasing a versatile repertoire that spanned four different languages – Latin, Italian, Mandarin and Japanese – the Victoria Chorale outsang its competitors to come up third in the finals of the Mixed Youth Choirs category. Earning a score of 81.75 and snagging a Gold medal in the process, the choir was placed behind two South African school choirs: the University of Pretoria Youth Choir and the University Choir of Stellenbosch.
The choir then continued into the hotly contested finals of the Folklore A Cappella category. With its members dressed in vibrantly coloured sarees and Punjabi suits reflecting Singapore's unique ethnic mix, the Victoria Chorale put up a magnificent performance to beat 33 other world-class choirs, coming in second. It obtained an outstanding score of 89.75 and an Olympic Gold medal, a mere 1.63 points behind the eventual winner, Magnificat Gyermekkar Budapest from Hungary.
With these two victories, the Victoria Chorale has successfully put Singapore on the global map of choral singing. What is even more astounding is the fact that it did so with a choir comprising only 29 members, a number less than half the size of most of the other winning choirs.
Said choral director, Mr. Nelson Kwei: "I am very proud of the choir's achievements. With such a small group of members, we have managed to come this far in the competition, beating so many choirs that are so much larger than ours. Singapore can now proudly say that we are Olympic Gold medallists".
With Singapore's superb haul of seven Gold medals, lesser only to host nation Germany (10 Gold medals from 58 participating choirs) and China (16 Gold medals from 33 participating choirs), the Victoria Chorale and Mr. Kwei are honoured to bring glory to the small nation state that they call home.
Just in time for National Day.
Results
Category: Folklore a capella
Score: 89.75
Position: 2nd
Category Winner: Magnificat Gyermekkar Budapest, Hungary
Category: Mixed Youth Voices
Score: 81.75
Position: 3rd
Category Winner: University Choir of Stellenbosch, South Africa
About Choir Olympics
"No other idea has moved the international choral scene world-wide as strongly as the idea of the Choir Olympics. Based on great ancient traditions, it has inspired millions of people all over the globe. Already at its premiere in Linz/Austria in July 2000, it became the biggest international choir competition worldwide. After this successful start, the Choir Olympics continued its success in the metropolitan City of Busan/South Korea in 2002. However, Choir Olympics is more than just a global choir competition: it is a thousand-fold encounter of cultures, which goes beyond all national borders in a peaceful way."
Taken from event’s official site, www.choirolympics.com.
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