The UST Singers, founded in 1992 emerged as the Choir of the World – The Pavarotti Trophy winners at the recently concluded Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in the UK. They won the first of the five major categories (mixed choirs) which qualified them to be in the final “play off” against the winners of the other remaining categories: barbershop/close harmony choruses (won by The White Rosettes of England), male choirs (Cantabile Limburg, Germany), female choirs (The Chanterelles Choir, England) and chamber choirs (Cywair, Wales).
This is huge – there were around 50 countries represented in the various major and minor categories. Another Philippine group, the De La Salle University Chorus composed of students, participated and won 2nd place in another major category – chamber choirs (UST won 3rd in this category). DLSU was 2 points below the eventual winner, Cywair from Wales. If they won, the two Philippine delegations would have been in the face off! UST also won first place in the youth category.
I saw the DLSU chorus here in Chicago before they went to Europe to compete.
A horrible photo of the DLSU Chorus performing here in Chicago. I took this with my cell phone, that;s why.
He actually didn’t make it to the judges’ favorites and had to compete in the standby group. There was 11 spots left. The male vocal competition was quite stiff because there were many of them who qualified to the Las Vegas phase.