MBC national choral competition draws season's best

MANILA, Philippines – The best choirs from local schools, parishes and community groups nationwide are set to face off and determine the season’s best as Manila Broadcasting Co. and Star City launch their Paskong Pinoy celebrations with the MBC National Choral Competition.

Following rigorous auditions conducted by its stations Love Radio, Yes-FM, Easy Rock, and Hot FM in Cauayan, Laoag, Baguio, Lucena, Naga, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, and Iloilo, MBC recently announced the roster of choirs that qualified for the semifinal round scheduled on December 6-9. .

A total of 90 choirs from all over the country auditioned in a three-month span which yielded a bumper crop of entries from Metro Manila, and equally outstanding participants from the regions.

The choral competition promises to be filled with excitement as the country’s most respected choral conductors take part in a showdown of the so-called crème-de-la-crème.

Determined to make choral music the latest craze in mass-based entertainment, MBC has asked the choirs to render one novelty song each apart from the designated contest piece, and to submit three additional elective works from which the judges will choose on the spot which number they would like the choir to sing. Participating choirs will then be judged according to musicality (40 percent), presentation (30 percent), and audience impact (30 percent).

Entries in the children’s choir division include Bagong Silangan Elementary School, Commonwealth ES, and the Quezon City Performing Arts Foundation; Laoag Central ES; Koro del Pilar of Malolos; the Voyagers of Pilgrim Christian College in Cagayan de Oro; Calasiao Children’s Chorus, Pasig Catholic College, Malate Catholic School, St Paul College of Paranaque; St Paul College Pasig; Juan Luna ES, Legarda ES, Coro Angelitos of Isabelo de los Reyes ES, and DSWD Mandaluyong’s Streetchildren Chorale. Three-time champion Hiyas ng Pilipinas has been elevated to the Hall of Fame.

School choirs vying for the top prize in the open category are led by Mapua Cardinal Singers, Koro San Benildo, FEU Chorale, De La Salle Universtiy-Dasmarinas, University of San Agustin Troubadours, St Louis University, Tarlac State University, John B. Lacson Maritime University, Lyceum Northwestern University of Dagupan, Tining – ang Koro ng Letran Calamba, the University of Manila, the Kalibnusan Chorale of Philippine Normal University-Alicia, Ilagan State University’s Rhythmic Society, Camarines Sur Polytechnic College, the University of Makati Chorale, Ateneo de Davao’s Carillon, University of Southeastern Philippines, St. Scholastica’s College High School Glee Club, and defending champion University of the Visayas.

Church groups include Sto Nino de Arevalo Parish of Iloilo; Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Bauan, Batangas; Himig Sanghaya of San Pedro, Laguna and Chorus Vocales of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Community groups include the Koro Ilustrado, Manila Youth Choir, Tingog Sorsoganon, the Santiago City Chorale, and the Voice of Cebu..

Supported by Smart Communications, Unilab, LBC, Lomotil, and M. Lhuillier, the MBC National Choral Competition will be held at the Star Theater, with the grand finals on Dec. 10. Showtime is at 6 p.m.