Mandaue Children’s choir tops German festival contest, sings their gratitude

The winning Mandaue Chidlren’s Choir visits Mandaue City’s Vice Mayor Glen Bercede to express their thanks for the city government’s support. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The 23-member Mandaue Children’s Choir  sang their winning contest pieces when they visited  Vice Mayor Glen Bercede at City Hall yesterday.

It was their  way of  saying thank you to the Mandaue city government for supporting their participation in the  competition in Germany last week.

Mayor  Jonas Cortes wasn’t in his office so the children and their choir master dropped by the vice mayor.

Dennis Sugarol, the choir master, said the Mandaue youths were the  only Filipino group in the prestigious   competition, the “Georg Frederich Handell Internationales Kinderchor Festival Halle.”

Sugarol said they  were also one of two Southeast Asian choir groups among  seven participants from around the world. Choirs came from Russia, Italy, the Ukraine,  Germany and South Korea.

The Mandaue Children’s Choir went there last May 7  to 11 as a guest in some choir presentations in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sugarol said it was their second European tour but their first time in the competition.  The Mandaue  choir  and another from Ukraine both won first place. They each received  a thousand Euro and a certificate.

Sugarol said judges told them they were impressed by “the blending of  voices and their dances.”

Rachel Hansen, a Filipina spectator based in Sweden, in a Facebook comment said, “Mandaue Children’s Choir from the Philippines gave the most delightful, wonderful, beautiful Concert at the majestic Gustav Vasakyrkan in Odenplan. Standing ovation several times. Nakakaiyak sa sobrang ganda!