THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas Singers emerged as the first Filipino ensemble to bag the grand prize in the City of Derry International Choir Festival in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom.
Led by its founder and conductor, Prof. Fidel Gener Calalang, Jr., the choir secured the Oak Tree of Derry Trophy against four other groups from Estonia, Ireland, and Nigeria during the festival from Oct. 24 to 26.
The UST Singers also received the Contemporary Music Centre Award for the Best Performance of a Piece by a Composer from Ireland with their interpretation of Seán Doherty’s “The Destroyer” and the Bishop’s Gate Hotel Award for Outstanding Performance of a Work Composed Before 1750 for their rendition of Thomas Greaves’ “Come Away, Sweet Love.”
Since its establishment in 1992, the UST Singers have embarked on nearly 40 international concert and competition tours, across Europe, North America, Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
Composed of select students and alumni from various colleges, and faculties of the University, the choir has earned critical acclaim and won over 80 top prizes in global competitions.
The UST Singers gained fame for earning the coveted Choir of the World – Luciano Pavarotti Trophy twice at Wales’ famed Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, the world’s oldest choir competition.
First held in 2013, the City of Derry International Choir Festival is one of Northern Ireland’s most significant musical events and stands as the only international choral festival of its kind in the United Kingdom. It features concerts by world-renowned vocal ensembles, workshops, as well as community performances and choral trails in landmark locations across Derry and its surrounding areas. F
