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Madrid, Spain — The pride of Albay, Ligao National High School (LNHS) Voice Chorale finishes with two top placements in the 65th edition of the Torrevieja International Habaneras and Polyphony Competition in Eras de la Sal, Torrevieja on July 27, 2019.
The choir, composed of 25 young Filipinos aged 18 to 22, wins the top prize in two categories—the Habaneras Ricardo Lafuente and the Polyphony Juan Aparicio.
The Habaneras category follows a 2/4 rhythm time signature, whereas the Polyphony category showcases pieces of folkloric character or from the choir´s region or country of origin.
The choir, led by its director Celger Villa Campa Venzon, played “By Your Side” with lyrics by Matias Antón and music by Javier Busto, and “Where Are The Seagulls?” by choir master Ricardo Lafuente, during which their performance was described by a Spanish online news review as “employing great complexity.”
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In the Polyphony category, the Filipino choir sang “Laudate Dominum”, a work of the Lithuanian composer, Giedrius Svilanis, and “Banwar Iti Cordillera” by Normita Big-Rio Pablico.
Colombia’s Coro de Cámara “Cecilia Espinosa and Ukraine’s Kiev Youth Chamber Choir Sophia won the second and third prizes, respectively. National Prize was given to the Spanish Choir Coro de Jóvenes de Madrid.
The University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors were the top prize winners in 2018 also performed during this year´s festival edition.
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Learn more about the Habaneras by visiting their website at http://habaneras.org.
For more information, visit https://www.madripe.dfa.gov.ph,
https://www.philembassymadrid.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSpain.