The Awesome Choir Groups in the Philippines

It is indeed a great feeling when we hear various choir groups singing and belting their voice out in such a harmonious and truly synchronized fashion. Moreover, their performance will indeed lift our hearts as if we are hearing angels singing a lovely and entertaining piece to their best of abilities and superb talents. This hub which is my 80th is a tribute to the singing talent of Filipinos here or abroad. The Philippine Madrigal Singers or also known as the MADZ already proven their worth many times over in performing in world stage, in fact they are one of the most awarded choirs in the world and Asia and won many international competition, and their list of impressive wins still growing. With The Philippine Madrigal Singers growing list of achievements, the MADZ is considered to be one of the best choirs if not the best in the whole world.

Organized by University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers in 1963, the MADZ is under the auspices of Prof. Andrea Veneracion (a National Artist in Music in the Philippines in 1999, the nucleus of the choir is consisted of students, faculty and alumni of the University of the Philippines all over the archipelago). Versatile and truly gifted with immense talent the choir expertise is in the madrigal (which the name of the choir suggest), a polyphonic and truly difficult musical style where guests would be treated to the singing virtuosity of the singers or performers as the visitors are allowed sing with the performers altogether - a truly one of a kind singing style done in a semicircle fashion even without the aid of a conductor.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers already performed for royalty and heads of state from many countries all over the world. Their previous guests were Pope Paul VI of the Vatican City, American Presidents Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon, King Juan Carlos de Bourbon and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

In 1969, The Philippine Madrigal Singers gained worldwide recognition by virtue of their strong performance in the First Choruses of the World Festival held at Lincoln Center in New York. The concert opened the floodgate of opportunity in performing in various choral competitions in the world such as in Spittal, Austria, Arezzo and Gorizia in Italy, Neuchâtel in Switzerland; Debrecen in Hungary, Varna in Bulgaria, Tolosa in Spain, and alas Marktoberdorf in Germany wherein they emerged victorious as they took the top prize in these much coveted competitions. These string of impressive and overwhelming victories made The Philippine Madrigal Singers a potent force to reckon with in the International Choir Competitions.

Their streak was indeed hot and unstoppable as the vaunted Philippine Madrigal Singers again bring home the bacon as they displayed awesome, truly entertaining and highly synchronized performance to annex the grand prize in Europe's much coveted plum, the Grand Prix European de Chant Choral Competition in Tours, France on their ninth world tour concert, outperforming entries from Italy (have two entires), Hungary, Bulgaria, and Spain.

The Madz won the grand prize at the Florilege de Tours choral competition in France held last July 2006 and the accolades and their winning ways doesn't stop there as if they are used to it already, they also bring home the first prize for Category III (mixed vocal ensemble), first prize for Category IV (free program) and the Prix University François Rabelais for best interpretation of a Renaissance number.

Showing again their singing prowess The Philippine Madrigal Singers  took their second win en route to a grand prize triumph in the relatively tough European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy. The Filipinos sweet victory earned them the first of the only two choirs (A.P.Z. Tone Tomšič is the only other choir to win twice) in the world to win the grand prize twice. Bear in mind that this competition is reputed to be the Olympics for choir.

The singing talent of Filipinos indeed flourishes and never ends, and just like the awesome achievements accumulated by the powerhouse choir sensations, The Philippine Madrigal Singers, that is , The Las Piñas Boys Choir (LPBC), of Las Piñas City, Philippines, founded by Belgian Priest missionary, Reverend Father Leo Reinier was not to be outdone. The Las Piñas Boys Choir (LPBC) created a stirring and sizzling victories in two categories it was entered in the World Choir Games 2008 held in Graz, Austria. They clinched the Silver Medal Musica Sacra category and grabbed the elusive Gold Medal to become the World Champion in the Children's Choir category. The 20-member Las Piñas Boys outperformed 70 children's choir groups like the entries from United States (which has three choir group particpants), Greece, Estonia, Great Britain, Russia and South Africa.


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