Golden Harmonies

MANILA, Philippines - Victory is sweeter the third time around. The Miriam College High School (MCHS) glee club knows how it feels after winning for the third time at the 2014 World Choir Games (WCG)  held in Riga, Latvia earlier this month. They came home triumphant, this time winning a gold diploma in Sacred Music with Accompaniment Open Category and a gold medal in the Youth Choirs of Equal Voices Champions Category.

“We prepared more difficult pieces this time around. The competitors were also better and tougher compared to the choirs which participated in the US,” says Nancy Roman, conductor of the 43-member choir. She is also the assistant principal for Student Affairs of MCHS.

The WCG – the largest choir competition in the world – is a dream arena for competitive choral groups like the MCHS Glee Club.  Its jury consists of international choral experts from all over the world who evaluate a single piece according to authenticity, intonation and fidelity to the score or interpretation. Performances are evaluated according to the sound quality of the choir and overall artistic impression.

The MCHS Glee Club first joined the WCG in 2010 in Shaoxing, China where they bagged two silver diplomas in the Youth Choirs of Equal Voices and Sacred Music categories. Their China experience helped them set a new benchmark as they planned for the next WCG in 2012 which was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. This time they bested 30 choirs from all over the world and came home with two gold diplomas in the Sacred Music and Youth Choirs of Equal Voices categories. They were declared category winners in both.

Their US feat qualified them for the tougher Champions category in Riga. Only choirs who have won gold awards in the past or its equivalent in other international competitions were qualified to join. 

“We qualified for the champions round in both categories but due to the schedule, we decided to participate only in the Youth of Equal Voices and went for the Open Category instead for the Sacred Music with Accompaniment,” explains Roman. 

They sang a total of eight pieces for both categories, some more difficult than their song choices in the previous WCG competitions. “I chose pieces that will bring out different flavors from the glee club, pieces that show contrasts with a higher level of difficulty,” she says.

The dynamic all-female group had been practicing the whole summer leading to this biennial competition.

For the Sacred Music with Accompaniment, they sang Ave Maria by Tomas Luis de Victoria, Ave Verum Corpus by Miklos Kocsar, Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep by Alejandro Consolacion II and Ave Regina Coelorum by Ko Matsushita. For the Youth Choirs of Equal Voices they performed Hotaru Koi by Ro Ogura, Magos A Rutafa by Bardos Lajos, Ave Maria by Ko Matsushita and Dayo Dayo Kupita by Nilo Alcala II.

On top of the awards was the priceless experience of traveling to a country dubbed as the European Capital of Culture. Riga, Latvia’s capital, is especially known for its impressive list of UNESCO Heritage sites and its annual showcase of cultural activities in the arts, music and theater. July also happens to be a perfect time to be in the country, with its warm weather and abundant produce. 

“The girls knew that Latvia was not a rice country so they were prepared to eat potatoes for a long time,” quips Roman. “They actually like Latvian food, care of a restaurant named Lido which serves traditional Latvian food.”

Roman continues to dream big for the glee club, which welcomes new members each year to replace graduating members.

“We might join some international festivals in the future or even plan a tour of Europe,” Roman shares. She’s also setting her sights on the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), a local competition they have yet to join, and the One Rhythm One Nation festival in New York in 2016.

Indeed a big stage awaits the MCHS Glee Club, now rightfully considered one of the best choral groups in the world.