MANILA, Philippines - Following the successful European Union (EU) Choral Competition last year, Far Eastern University (FEU) once again sponsored and hosted this year’s competition, one of the main highlights of the European Union month. The competition, organized through the efforts of FEU’s president’s committee on culture, the European Union Cultural Group and the European Union Presidencia Española, was held at the historic FEU Auditorium, venue of some of the country’s prestigious arts and cultural affairs.
FEU and the EU invited different university based choirs from within and outside Metro Manila to showcase their impressive vocal talent by performing two musical pieces: one by a composer from any of the 27 European Union member nations and one by a Filipino composer.
The participating choirs included Tarlac State University, University of Asia and the Pacific, De La Salle Dasmarinas, University of the Philippines (Medicine), First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH), Mapua Institute of Technology, College of Saint Benilde, University of the Philippines Los Baños and Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Two guest choirs were featured, namely, the Our Lady of Good Success Latin Choir and the Cavite Institute High School.
The musical event was filled with colorful costumes, jovial spirits and extraordinary vocal performances that displayed the students’ prowess, confidence and talent in the field of choral singing.
Adjudged winners by a prestigious panel of judges including Arwin Tan, Alejandro Consolacion, Thomas Schuele, Malú Ambrosio and Flora Geley were the University of the Philippines Los Banos, grand champion; Tarlac State University Chorale, first runner-up; and the De La Salle University Dasmarinas, second runner-up.
“We are pleased to work with the European Union for the second year in a row. We are happy that the number of participants doubled from last year. We hope that this choral competition becomes an annual event in celebrating the EU month and in recognizing the vocal prowess of Filipino choirs,” said Martin Lopez, executive director of FEU’s president’s committee on culture.
For information on the European Union Choral Competition, visit http://eucc2010.weebly.com/index.html.