Voices of Singapore Children’s Choir comes in second at prestigious music festival

SINGAPORE – “Is this a dream?” sang the young choir from Singapore on a music festival stage in Wales on July 3.

Soon after the 54 members of the Voices of Singapore Children’s Choir broke out of their musical reverie, their dreams came true as their performance won them second prize at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

The choir performed two songs by its founder and local composer Darius Lim – Ave Maria, which was penned during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Children Of Light.

Throughout the theatrical performance, which lasted 6½ minutes, the children – dressed in black – swayed along with drawling notes and broke into sharp and synchronised hand gestures during the staccato parts.

Lauded by the judges for an excellent performance, the choir earned a score of 93 out of 100 and clinched second place in the Senior Children’s Choirs category – for singers aged 12 to 18 – winning £200 (S$345) in prize money. 

The United States’ Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir came in first, while the Czech Republic’s Kajetan was third. 

Choir member Choo Yong Han, 17, said he was filled with anxiety, excitement and disbelief during the festival.

“This was my first international competition with a choir, and it was nerve-racking. As we finished our two pieces, I was shaking with excitement and felt like my breath had been taken away,” said the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts student.

“In hindsight, I am very proud that Voices of Singapore had the chance to represent Singapore on an international stage.”

Crescent Girls’ School student Eiliyah Adeena, 14, said the festival was “an experience like no other”.

“When we sang Children Of Light, I was so happy because during the first set of stomps and claps, it was so synchronised and I felt so proud of ourselves,” said Eiliyah, who joined the choir in 2021. 

“To be honest, I was slightly disappointed to know that we were two points away from the first place. I felt that we could win. Regardless, I knew that we gave everything we had and that was what mattered.”

Voices of Singapore Children’s Choir was formed in 2019 by Lim. It has performed locally and abroad, including a collaboration with the Singapore Armed Forces band to record the Singapore National Anthem in 2022, and hitting the stage at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2023.

Its achievement at the music festival in Wales was part of its first tour of the United Kingdom, which saw it perform at London’s Sinfonia Smith Square.

At the same festival, on July 6, 29-year-old Singaporean soprano Shimona Rose Thevathasan’s Stravinsky performance

earned her the Pendine International Voice of the Future award.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, held annually in July, began in 1947 with representatives from seven countries.

Since then, more than 400,000 competitors from over 140 nationalities and cultures have stepped on its stage.

Previous Singaporean winners include Janani Sridhar, who won the vocal solo under-16 category in 2005, and the NUSChoir of National University of Singapore, which was the first local choir to clinch the Choir Of The World award.