PAREF Southcrest Girls Choir (PSGC) joined the top seven finalists in the grand prix of “A Voyage of Song” choir competition held recently in Bangkok, Thailand. They bagged two golds, a category prize winner and were awarded “Best in Scenic Folklore” by singing a total of eight songs in three different categories.
When the Bangkok competition was announced, we immediately made the decision to join. Twenty-one choirs from eight countries (Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Thailand, to name a few) joined the competition. The win came as a surprise, as the choir members were just newbies and joined the contest for international exposure. It was like David versus Goliath. The school director, Emylou Visaya, and the management team and the choir coordinators (Marianne Lopez and Maria Teresa Revilles) were quick to support the group’s endeavor.
New members auditioned in April. After that the parent core committee, headed by Gabs Garcia (my husband), immediately went to work. First on the list was costume planning—since this would take time to create from scratch. Finally, after five revisions, the team found the appropriate outfits through the collaboration between Gabs and Maria Lourdes Rona for the ethnic costume and Tet Ko for the formal attire.
The kids enjoyed their rehearsals every day from May 20 to July 14. They started rehearsing for half a day then eventually scheduled whole-day practices.
I was quite surprised seeing them still so energetic at the end of the day. As a parent, it is such a joy to see a child meet her passion and to witness her transformation. One could see core values being developed and practiced each day. We saw discipline and courage. When a child who loves chocolates and ice cream refuses to eat them, that’s self-discipline. We saw responsibility—the “Ate” taking care of their “child.” We saw the girls practicing excellence—making sure every note and tone was hit perfectly. We saw the girls’ grit, hard work and commitment. These are important values to have as they go through life. What touched me the most was the friendship built. I saw how they supported each other, prayed for each other and worked together as a team to achieve their goal.
PSGC started out in September 2018 as a choir club in school headed by Maestro Dennis Sugarol. The choir was composed of 30 members, open to girls Grades 2 to high school. The choir aimed to provide further music training to girls willing to maximize their talents by expressing them in an enjoyable and productive way. The choir has, so far, engaged in two major performances. The first was during the “Miracles of Christmas” where they participated in the school Christmas presentation and the second was during their debut concert called “A Gift of Beauty” done last March.
Knowing that the girls had never performed in public and never experienced a “real” audience, we initiated a send-off concert a week before the competition. It was in the Marcelo B. Fernan Cebu Press Center. Families, relatives and friends came to see them. It was such a success. The girls did an amazing job! It was at that moment I knew that we would make it to gold. I knew we stood a chance against the giants. I knew that God would be with us and He would grant us our desires because He made all these possible for us. In Bangkok we felt highs and lows—excitement and anxiousness—but through it all, we emerged victorious. Nothing is impossible if we do these for the glory of God.