The winning choirs at the inaugural at the National Song Festival are set to receive their prizes today at a ceremony scheduled for the Umana Yana at 5 pm.
The New Amsterdam Secondary School Choir placed first in the large group category while the Messengers took the first prize in the small group category.
They will receive $300,000 and $200,000 respectively.
The New Amsterdam Secondary School Choir brought the audience to its feet singing “Sign of the Victory” at the recently held competition.
Dressed in their school’s uniform, the students also sang a ‘remixed’ version of the “Hymn for Guyana’s Children”.
When the results were revealed that the students placed first, they were so ecstatic that they jumped. And as they left the National Cultural Centre, they chanted their school’s name, pronouncing themselves the winners.
Representative of New Amsterdam Secondary School Choir Daniel Jacobs had told Stabroek News that the teachers were initially entering the competition but decided to register the students instead as a learning experience.
The students were overjoyed about their accomplishment in the competition and hope to participate in the next festival.
Second and third place finishers in the large group category, Sasca Heralders and the Brickdam Cathedral Choir will take away $200,000 and $100,000 respectively, along with trophies.
Representative of the Brickdam Cathedral Choir Becil Charles Andrew said that the members were satisfied with the results, considering that some of them were over 60 years of age. He expressed joy that the Ministry of Culture created the festival and he hoped it would continue.
The audience’s favourite in the small group category, the Messengers, grabbed their hearts by singing Guyanese folk song “Life in the Country” acapella.
The J 4 Inspiration, four female Queen’s College students set the bar high with their incredible rendition of “Lean on Me”.
This group achieved second place in the small category and will receive $125,000 and a trophy.
Circle of Love, meanwhile, came in third and won $75,000.
The contest was part of an effort to resuscitate choral music as a pastime in schools, religious organisations, clubs and community groups.
The choirs were judged on their costumes, postures, compositions, diction and presentation.
Although the show started slight late, the performance of the participants more than made up for it along with the sound quality issues which befell a few of the participants.
