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By Perry Gil S. Mallari, Reporter
Two Philippine choirs, the Kilyawan Boys Choir
and the Las Piñas Boys Choir, won in the Fifth World Choir Games
that is still ongoing in Graz, Austria.
The 45-member Kilyawan Boys Choir bagged one
gold medal in the pop a capella category, a silver medal in the
music of the religious category, three gold diplomas, and a silver
medal in the mixed boys choir category.
The 20-member Las Piñas Boys Choir won a gold
medal in the children’s category on July 12.
The Kilyawan Boys Choir, which derives its name
from the songbird “Kilyawan” (Golden Oriole) traces its roots to
the Claret Boys Choir, which was formed in August 1994 by Mark
Anthony Carpio, choirmaster of the world-renowned Philippine
Madrigal Singers.
The Las Piñas Boys Choir, previously known as
“Himig Kawayan Boys Choir of Las Piñas,” was founded by Rev.
Fr. Leo Reinier in 1969.
“This is a proud moment not only for the Las
Piñas Boys Choir, not only for Las Piñas but for the Filipino
people,” said Fr. Benjamin “Didoy” Molina, who is part of the
choir’s management team. “Once again, we have shown the world
that the Filipino talent is world-class.”
Senate President Manuel Villar filed Senate
Resolution 507 commending the Las Piñas Boys Choir for their
accomplishment, according to a press release on Tuesday.
“The feat of our very own Las Piñas Boys
Choir exhibits the excellence of the global Pinoys whose dedication
and commitment to their craft bring honor and pride to the
country,” he said.
Under the artistic direction of professor
Armando Salarza, the group is a regular performer in the annual
Bamboo Organ International Music Festival.
P2 million in the hole
Santi and Rosanna Dapul, parents of Kilyawan
Boys Choir singer Gian Karlo Dapul, said the victory did not come
easy for their group. Rosanna Dapul, the president of the choir
members’ parents’ council, said the hardest part was raising the
money to cover the airfare, which ranges between P98,000 and
P110,000 per member.
The Kilyawan Boys Choir initially launched
fundraising performances, but the donations still came up short.
Through the help of the Rotary Club of Makati Bel-Air, where Santi
Dapul was a past president, the group managed to find sponsors and
secured loans. Commenting on business tycoon Lucio Tan’s pledge to
give P1 million to the Filipino who will win a gold medal in the
Beijing Olympics, he said, “I hope he would do the same for the
Kilyawan Boys Choir.”
Rosanna Dapul said the choir is working to pay
off a P2-million debt spent to send the boys to Vienna.
Kilyawan also competed in the Fourth World Choir
Games in Xiamen, China, last year. There, the Filipino boys took a
silver diploma and one certificate in one category, a gold diploma
in another, and two medals—a silver and a bronze.
Dubbed as the largest competition in the history
of choir music, the World Choir Games—also referred to as the
choir Olympics—was participated in by ensembles from 93 nations,
including China, Russia, Austria and Germany. Some 71 international
jurors are expected to judge about 600 performances.
The Vienna competition runs until July 19.
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