Balon Dagupan children's choir claims top award in MICF2016

PUTRAJAYA: The Balon Dagupan children's choir from the Philippines claimed the Shah Alam Mayor's Award during the inaugural Malaysian International Children's Choral Festival 2016 (MICF2016).
The award is the highest accolade in the competition. The children aged between nine and 13 years old also took home the Gold Diploma Award and the title of Most Promising Overseas Choir Group.
The choir group, formed in 2015, comprises 22 members from both public and private schools in the city.
The Most Promising Malaysian Choir award was bagged by SJK (C) Chong Cheng from Penang and the Best Conductor Award went to Amylea Azizan from SK Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
The MICF was held on July 16 at the Shah Alam Theatre in Shah Alam.
The announcement was made at the MICF2016 closing ceremony held at Auditorium Cempaka Sari here today.
Fifteen schools from seven states across Malaysia and four countries – Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and India – competed in the inaugural festival.
Shah Alam mayor Datuk Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad said the festival served as a valuable platform to encourage students to excel in the arts and their academic studies.
"I also believe this programme will provide room for shared knowledge of music among all the schools in the region and encourage more choirs to take part in the future," he said.