NORTHWEST Samar State University in the recently concluded 4th North Sumatra International Choir Competition in Indonesia.

he Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) won three titles in the recently concluded 4th North Sumatra International Choir Competition slated on 27 to 31 August 2019 in Parapat-Laguboti, Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Coming home victorious, the NwSSU Singers presented to Dr. Benjamin L. Pecayo, university president, a gold medal in folklore category, a gold medal and champion award under the church music category, and The Most Promising Conductor award for Jonathan Theo Robles.

The 19 chorale groups that joined the said event included the NwSSU Singers, Simfonia Medan, Jorih Jerah Choir, St. Cecilia Bintang Timur Choir, Paduan Suara Yapentra, Mo’Awo Youth Choir, San Pedro Chorale, Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College and Camarines Sur Teacher Choir.

Another winning choral group that gave honor to the Philippines is the San Pedro Chorale of Tarlac City, Tarlac, which earned the title Grand Champion of the choral competitions.

For the church music category, the group presented “Ama Namen” by John August Pamintuan and “Let Me Fly” by Robert DeCormier, while for the folklore category, they showcased “Pan anup” and “Tephaeyg” by Dr. Bienvenido B. Constantino Jr. and “Soleram” by Josu Elberdin Badiola.

THE songs “Lead Me Lord” and “Fly With Me” led the NwSSU to their win.

Moreover, the NwSSU Singers was catapulted to the grand prix round after they sang “Let Me Fly” and “Lead Me Lord,” composed by Arnel De Pano, as arranged by Robert Delgado.

According to Peter Anthony Petilla, head of the NwSSU Arts, Social and Cultural Affairs Office, “The NwSSU Singers’ edge over the other contenders is that they sound different and the choice of songs is also different. They showcased very dynamic singing and they looked very elegant in their costumes.”

Robles, a seasoned conductor, shared his excitement upon their arrival in Samar. He revealed that the NwSSU Singers is a newly formed choir which was yet to celebrate its first anniversary in September. He quipped that one of the ingredients to their success is their rigorous choir training.

The NwSSU Singers has big plans for next year, as revealed by Petilla, like joining the invitational concert in Indonesia, sponsored by the Indonesian government, and another competition in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Wilfredo Aurea, the director of the Student Affairs Services who accompanied the group to Indonesia, revealed that the big success of the choir rested on having the right trainer which obviously honed the talent of the students in a short period of time.

In an interview with the president of the choral group, Jomar Ramonida shared his thoughts: “It is very fulfilling to think that we were able to bring pride and honor, not just to Calbayog City, but also to our country.”

Among the internationally renowned judges who graced the event were Bengt Ollen from Sweden, Inesa Bodyako from Belarus, Bienvenido Constantino Jr. from the Philippines, John Hooper from the United States and Aida Swenson Simanjuntak from Indonesia.

The arts and culture office of NwSSU is thankful for the full support of the university president, the NwSSU Board of Regent, Internationalization Affairs Office, local government of Calbayog led by its Mayor Ronald Aquino, Rep. Edgar Sarmiento and many other generous individuals and private establishments.