The Voices of Singapore Ladies Choir (VSL) has made history.
On 9 December, the VSL was awarded the Grand Prix (Overall Best Choir) at the 16th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music in Bratislava, Slovakia. Additionally, the first independent all-female choir in Singapore clinched Gold Bands for the Musica Sacra a cappella and Female Adult Choirs categories, where it scored 95 and 98 points, respectively, and emerged as the category winner of Female Adult Choirs.
View this post on Instagram
The competition hosted 600 participants from eight countries, in which VSL was the only representative who hailed from Asia. VSL performed a line-up of classic choral and Singaporean folk tunes such as ‘Ave Maria’, ‘Musica Aeterna’, ‘Revelation’, and ‘Dayung Sampan’, arranged by Dr. Darius Lim.
“This is indeed a moment of pride for Voices of Singapore and Singapore, as this is the first time a Singaporean choir has won the Grand Prix at the International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music,” shared Dr. Darius Lim, VSL Artistic Director, in a press release.
View this post on Instagram
Prior to VSL’s stop in Slovakia, the group was fresh off a performance at the VOCES8 Centre in London, as part of its Europe Tour from 7 to 10 December.
“Our journey from Singapore to London and then to Bratislava was one of musical growth and hard-earned accomplishment. Through the intensive preparations and rehearsals, we forged a bond as a choir, and when we finally stepped onto the stage in Bratislava, we gave our absolute best. We are proud of our achievements, and we will cherish this experience for a lifetime,” shared Ms Tay Hwee Ling, president of VSL, in a press release.
