Chorale bags prizes in Germany

Manila, Philippines - A choral group composed of students, employees and alumni of the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC) in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija recently bagged the silver certificate in three categories at the Harmonie Festival 2011 held in Limburg-Lindenholzhausen, Germany held on June 2 to 6.

The group took the silver certificate in Chamber Choir Mixed Voices Category, Jazz Vocal Category and Mixed Voices Category.

Last month, the chorale also placed second in the Chamber Choir Category in the 33rd International May Choir Competition held in Varna, Bulgaria.

“But since it was based on point system and no one got the first place, technically our CIC Chorale is the first prize winner,” Father Richmond Nilo, the college president, told The STAR.

The CIC Chorale has toured extensively nationally and internationally, and on their visit to Belgium in 2005 they were proclaimed a “world heritage” by the UNESCO in Brussels, according to the priest.

The CIC Chorale was organized by Rev. Fr. Michael Feliciano Veneracion, then CIC president, who was given a mandate by the late Most Rev. Sofio Balce, their bishop, to promote and strengthen culture and arts.

The choir is led by choirmaster Alfred Allan Samonte, an alumnus of the internationally acclaimed Philippine Madrigal Singers, with whom the choir performed at a tribute to Madz founder Prof. Andrea Veneracion, National Artist for Music, in 2003.??

They also performed with the Madz during the oathtaking of President Aquino at the Quirino Grandstand in June last year.