Saturday December 20, 2008
THE Dithyrambic Singers have once again proven themselves internationally. The Dithyrambic Singers, under the direction of Ian Lim, emerged Grand Prix Champion at the 2008 Busan Choral Festival and Competition recently.
Held from Nov 12 to 15, the 2008 Busan Choral Festival and Competition was organised by the South Korean Choral Institute and supported by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Busan Metropolitan City Government and Korean Tourism Organisation.
The judges comprised an international jury from Belgium, Japan, Argentina, Armenia, the United States and South Korea.
Winning Malaysians: The Dithyrambic Singers won the gold medal in the Mixed Classic and Ethnic (Folklore) categories and were named the Grand Prix Champion.This year’s competition attracted 40 choirs from 12 countries, including South Korea, China, United States, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, and the South-East Asian nations.
The Dithyrambic Singers topped the Mixed Classic and Ethnic (Folklore) categories to attain the highest score to be awarded champion.
This was the group’s second international victory this year, since their participation in the 21st Century International Choral Festival, Orientale Concentus held in Suzhou, China, in July.
The choir was also invited by the Singapore Education Ministry to be one of the four choirs selected internationally to perform at the Victoria Hall at the recent 2008 World Youth Choral Festival.
The Dithyrambic Singers’ success in international competitions has not only brought honour to the country but also international recognition to the choir.
