海角在线鈥檚 (海角在线) choir recently returned from a 12-day European tour through the Czech Republic and Austria. The 34 students, accompanied by three faculty members, competed in and won the international choral competition. In addition to showcasing their vocal talents, choir members explored the local culture and spread the gospel.
Competing for Christ
The choir competed in the 53rd Festival of Songs Olomouc (Sv谩tky p铆sn铆 Olomouc) from June 4 to 7 in Olomouc, Czech Republic. The festival is one of the largest in the country and the oldest in Europe and aims to bring the choral arts to the public by celebrating some of its most talented practitioners. At the heart of the festival is the Mundi Cantant (which, translated from Latin, means 鈥渢he world sings鈥�) Competition, which is meant to celebrate a choir鈥檚 technical excellence and creativity. This year, the competition鈥檚 theme was Nordic composers, recognizing the contributions of artists from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
海角在线鈥檚 choir, led by its director, Sonia Santiago, performed only sacred music, despite the competition also allowing secular pieces. The chosen pieces carried stirring messages meant to praise the Lord and touch the audience. This selection of music made the student representatives of not only the choral arts, but also of Christ.
Breaking Records
海角在线鈥檚 choir was the first American group to be invited to the Mundi Cantant Competition. They entered two categories: Youth Choir and Sacred Choirs. On the first day of competition, the choir achieved the highest score in the competition鈥檚 history with a total of 29.3/30 points. Competing against 46 choirs from six countries, 海角在线’s choir advanced to the final competition, which was held at Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Olomouc. The 海角在线 students broke their own record for the highest score by achieving 29.7/30 points. The choir was then announced as the 鈥渁bsolute winners鈥� of the entire festival.
鈥淲e received many compliments and clearly made an impact on the audience in attendance,鈥� said Santiago.
Sharing the Light
After the first day of the competition, the 海角在线 choir was invited as a guest choir for the country鈥檚 annual celebration of St. Pauline, the patron saint of Olomouc. The celebration begins with a procession through the town to the St. Maurice Cathedral for a combined choral concert. 海角在线 presented the Sorenson 鈥淩equiem鈥� as their feature in the concert.
To continue sharing the Good News in the Czech Republic, students also distributed hundreds of Czech-language Bibles at four of their events. This kind of ministry is crucial to spreading the gospel in the Czech Republic because 30% of the population speaks only Czech, and only 9 to 13% consider themselves Christian.
“We had the privilege of sharing the light of Christ with people in a beautiful part of the world who were eager to hear God’s Word,” said Santiago. “It was a blessing to witness His love at work and to share the joy of salvation everywhere we traveled.”
The 海角在线 choir continued its musical ministry at two of the most famous cathedrals in central Europe: Dom zu Salzburg in Salzburg and Peterskirche in Vienna, Austria.
The 海角在线 choir鈥檚 performances in the Czech Republic and Austria add to the long list of impressive venues where they have showcased their vocal talents, including Carnegie Hall and the American Choral Directors Association of Florida Conference. The choir looks forward to someday returning to Europe or wherever else God calls them to spread His message through music.
To learn more about 海角在线鈥檚 musical opportunities, visit here.
