Musica FEUropa choral competition raises stakes in 10th edition

For the first time in history, choirs from both the High School and Open Categories will sing against each other to bag the championship at the Musica FEUROPA 10, the annual choral festival and competition presented by the Far Eastern University and the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines happening this May 26-27, 2018 at the FEU Auditorium.

Since the inclusion of a separate High School Category during the competition’s 3^rd edition back in 2011, there had been two winners from both the High School and Open categories. For this year, separate semifinals for both categories will still take place with the top three (3) placers from each advancing and will compete in a single field during the finals. You read it right, the six (6) finalists will be a mix of three (3) High School Category choirs and three (3) Open Category choirs all competing for the title.

The choirs competing in the High School Category are Boscorale, Chorus Fortissimus, Dagalak, Himig Rosena, and St. Scholastica’s College Marikina High School Glee Club.

Adamson University Chorale conducted by Darwin Vargas

In the Open Category, the competing choirs are Adamson University Chorale, Bataan Peninsula State University Singers, De La Salle University Chorale, Emilio Aguinaldo College Chorale, Gloria Patri Singers, ICP Charismatic Chorale, MAPUA Cardinal Singers, Minstrels of Hope, Musicalipa, Philippine Normal University Chorale, Salinlahi Serenata Singers, and Technological Institute of the Philippines Chorale Society.

Musica FEUROPA organizers with the Adamson University Chorale

I wonder how Boscorale, with six (6) High School Category wins, the most in any category in Musica FEUROPA’s history, will fare now that it has to compete with the Open Category choirs when they reach the finals. Boscorale’s success in various competitions makes their trip to the finals no longer a question of if but only a matter of when. Instead of the finalists from the High School category being at a disadvantage having to compete with the Open Category choirs, it may even be the other way around as the quality of the younger choirs has been increasing over the years as observed by Festival Chairman Karl Angelo Tangco. And this was his reason for making the finals have choirs from both categories battling it out for the title.

The semifinals for the High School Category happens on May 26, 2018, 10:00 AM, the semifinals for the Open Category happens on May 26, 2018, 1:00 PM. The finals will be on May 27, 2018, 1:00 PM. The competition takes place at the FEU Auditorium.