Hail Mary The Queen Children’s Choir Wins 1st Prize at the 2013 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in UK

Hail Mary The Queen Children’s Choir Wins 1st Prize at the 2013 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in UK

An award-winning children’s choir from the Philippines has added a new prize to its growing collection of accolades after securing a top spot at an international music competition in the UK this week.

The Hail Mary The Queen Children’s Choir from Quezon City won first prize for the Children’s Folk Choir category at the 2013 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, beating stiff competition from Germany, Estonia, Czech Republic and the UK.

Receiving 95 points out of 100, the Filipino group secured victory with a 5-point lead on their nearest rivals, Saskatoon Children’s Choir from Canada, who finished at 2nd place with 90.3 points, followed closely Diocesan Boys’ School Choir from Hong Kong at 3rd with 89.7 points.

“It means a lot to us, not only to boost the morale of the students and the children because they will keep us going. This will keep us going. We always continue to strive for the better,” said Ahwel Paz, creative director of Hail Mary The Queen Children’s Choir.

Conducted by Maria Theresa Vizconde-Roldan, the group charmed judges and audiences with gentle performances of folk songs “Orde-e” and “Inday sa Balitaw,” complete with haunting spiritual melodies, angelic harmonies, and the distinctly amusing sounds of nature and animals.

“You took us to another place. We heard exceptional work here with excellent balance in technical and artistic elements,” said an adjudicator before announcing them as winners.

Speaking to ABS-CBN Europe at a special performance in London just days before the competition, some of the children shared their thoughts on winning and being part of the group.

“It’s my dream to win an international competition. I feel very happy. I love this choir. I wouldn’t miss this for the whole world. If you really work hard, you will receive rewards,” said Isabelle Dominique Yap, a 13-year-old student from the Philippine Science High School.

Jay Boy Kison, an 11-year-old student from PAREF Northfield School for Boys, also added: “I feel very happy because knowing that I’m representing my country and that we’re the only representatives of our country, it makes me feel proud to be part of the choir.”

The group also competed on the Senior Children’s Choir category, singing “Ampue Shelo He-O” and “O Lord Hear My Prayer”, but despite getting decent marks, they lost out to Cantabile Girls’ Choir from England.

However, the group was later awarded the honor of Children’s Choir of the World for getting the highest total score in the competition, besting 21 choirs from different countries.

Paz, who has been with working with the choir for over a decade, dedicated their success to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Quezon City, also known as Cubao Cathedral, where the group has been based since its inception in 1999.

“This is not only to include in the laurels that we’ve been receiving, but this is our offering to the parishioners who are more than willing to support us in all our endeavors,” he said.

He also paid tribute to Filipinos around the world, saying: “Ito po sana ay maging tagumpay ng buong Pilipino. Hindi lamang sa Pilipinas, kundi sa buong mundo. At ito po ay makadampi sa puso, makapagpagaling ng kaluluwa, kalungkutan, at karamdaman. At taas noo po nating sabihin na ang tinig ng Pilipino, tining ng buong mundo, kampion po.”

The Philippine team, consisted of 23 children performers and a team of 10 adults, is taking home coveted trophies with a total cash prize of GBP 1,000.

This adds to their already growing list of awards from around the world, including World Choir Champion at the 2004 Choir Olympics in Germany, gold and silver medals at the 2007 Asian Choir Games in Indonesia, and a first prize at the 2009 National Choral Competition by the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

They also received Ani Ng Dangal from the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2009, and a recording contract with Jamie Rivera through ABS-CBN Star Records’ Sa’Yo Lamang Chorale Fest in 2010. - ABS-CBNNews.com