The Music Office Youth Choir of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has won awards in several categories of the Singapore International Choral Festival 2016. The choir won Gold Awards in the Equal Voices, Mixed Voices and Musica Sacra categories and was also named the champion in the Equal Voices and Mixed Voices categories.

     As part of the Music Office's International Youth Music Exchange Programme, the 64-member Youth Choir was led by conductor and Senior Music Officer of the Music Office Dr Angelina Au to take part for the first time in this international music event held in Singapore last week.

     The Youth Choir participated in Equal Voices (aged 25 and below category), Mixed Voices (aged 25 and below category) and Musica Sacra (open category) in the competition. The repertoire consisted of sacred selections and contemporary highlights, including Palestrina's "Sicut Cervus", A. Scarlatti's "Exsultate Deo", Tavener's "Mother of God, Here I Stand", Wikander's "Kung Liljekonvalje" and Powell's "Still I Rise".

     The Youth Choir members also seized the opportunity to have music exchanges with the Pioneer Junior College Choir from Singapore.

     The choral competition of this year's festival comprised nine categories, drawing participating choirs from seven nations and regions, including the Mainland of China, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia.

Ends/Monday, August 15, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:00

NNNN