Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Chamber Choir (UCC) has once again charmed the international judges and audiences with their golden voices. With five awards from an earlier competition in Poland, the group continued their winning streak in Germany, at the 11th International Johannes-Brahms Choir Festival and Competition. UCC snagged four colossal awards during the results on July 7th.
Dr Masashi Kishimoto, a senior lecturer at UiTM Faculty of Music and the director for UCC, led the team to win the Mixed Choir and Folklore categories. The team unexpectedly won 2 additional titles, a special prize for Outstanding Stage Performance and the audience pick, or the Audience Special Prize. Accompanying the troupe during the summer excursion was the Dean of Music, Dr Tazul Tajuddin. He commented, “we were all very ecstatic when we got the results. It was completely unexpected as this year’s competition was incredibly tough, with strong performances demonstrated by all competitors.” Competing alongside 45 groups from 17 countries, UCC is developing as a notable adversary, with a trail of triumphant feat in festivals that they had participated.
The biennial choir festival is a celebration in memorial of Johannes-Brahms, one of the pioneers of Romantic music during the 19th century. UCC performed a total of 11 songs and competed in 10 separate categories. The (3) gold awards reflected the highest marks awarded, and UCC in total reaped five (5) prizes, including the Equal Voices category.
Dr Masashi Kishimoto founded UiTM Chamber Choir (UCC) in 2015. Since its inception, UCC has since achieved many accolades. Scoring top prizes at the following: The 4th Bali International Choir Festival (2015), 30th Praga Cantat in Prague (2016), 2nd Kalamata International Choir Competition in Greece (2017), Musica Eterna Roma International Choir Festival and Competition in Italy (2018). On July 3rd, the team won in Poland at Per Musicam ad Astra 7th International Copernicus Choir Festival. Winning three (3) gold awards and two (2) audience appreciation prizes, the team contested against 52 choir groups from around the world. A remarkable feat which has made us all very proud.
Story by Afiqah Aisyah Saiful Bahar, copy-edit by sharifahf1