The UST Singers with Prof. Fidel Calalang holding the Choir of the World 2010 trophy.

For giving the country pride and honor on the international stage after bagging major international awards in choral competitions, the UST (University of Santo Tomas) Singers were lauded by the entire Thomasian community.

Bagging the Choir of the World – The Pavarotti Trophy 2010 in the prestigious Eisteddfod Gerddorol Ryngwladol Llangollen held in North Wales recently, the UST Singers, led by Prof. Fidel G. Calalang Jr., were hailed by UST Rector Fr. Rolando dela Rosa for their extraordinary achievement and for helping improve the image of the Filipino globally.

“We feel prejudiced and downsized in other parts of the world like in Europe, especially in Greece, where the word Filipina is synonymous to the word ‘domestic helper’. That’s why we thank the UST Singers for doing their part in uplifting the plight of Filipinos,” Dela Rosa said.

After first winning it in 1995, the UST Singers bagged the The Pavarotti Trophy 2010 as well as 14 first awards in various competitions all over Europe during its three-month tour, among them:

• Three first prizes in the Bangor International Festival in Ireland (Mixed Choir, Madrigal and Sacred categories);

• The most coveted PEACE trophy and the Lady Dorothy Mayer Memorial trophy (outstanding performance of a 20th-century piece in the Fleishmann International Trophy Competition) at the 56th Cork International Choral Festival in Ireland;

• Three first prizes in three categories (Sacred, Secular, and Spiritual/Gospel and Jazz categories) and the Grand Prix at the 6th International Choir Festival Mondus Cantat Sopot in Poland;

• The International Prize (Choir with Highest Point), the first prize mixed choir category and the first prize for Folk Song xategory at the 28th International Music Festival in Spain.
Dela Rosa added that such a feat was commendable inasmuch as the Philippine government did not spend a single centavo on the group. The UST Singers are financially backed by the UST administration.

Calalang recalled the odds they had to face before achieving victory. “The choir was stranded in Korea because of a volcanic eruption in Iceland that affected our flight to Ireland. We slept at the airport. The other half of the choir lost their luggage. We were only completed on the day of the competition. In Warsaw where we were competing, the dam exploded. On my part, I had to go back to the country to visit my father who had his fifth stroke. Also, the brother of one of our members died of cancer,” Calalang narrated.

Nevertheless, Calalang is proud to have worked with whom he described as the best batch of UST Singers he has ever handled in recent years because even during his absence, they were able to work well. “They are very strong as a group because even without me for a week, they were still able to organize. God is so good to us,” Calalang said.

Sleepless nights

Calalang admitted to having suffered from many sleepless nights thinking how he could make the UST Singers win in every competition they had joined in, considering that they were up against the best choirs in the world.

“How I could make them win was the question that disturbed me every night. We challenged ourselves. The process to get there was difficult; the competition required us to sing different repertoire. Singing on stage against 30 other choirs was full of pressure,” Calalang said.

Calalang said that he had to check that their line-up of songs would cater to the taste of their audience in every country they performed in, playing more conservative music in Europe for instance, than in the rest of the world.

“We have a line-up of about 60 to 70 songs. Some were even learned on the bus or in hotel rooms. We also had to learn a with variety of choreography and accompaniment,’’ he added.

On Sept. 19, this brand of excellence will be showcased for the Philippine audience as the UST singers hold a homecoming concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) main theater as its thanksgiving concert.