DAGUPAN CITY – The Balon Dagupan Children’s Choir (BDCC) is champ again!
This time as the winner in the 2017 National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Children’s Choir category during the National Music Week and National Finals Weeks at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on November 23 and 24.
The BDCC was declared the big winner during the awarding and closing ceremonies on November 26 at the CCP main theater besting other choral groups like the Davao Girls Choir and Miriam College Middle School Chorus of the National Capital Region (NCR), both of which won the second prize; while the Calasiao Children’s Choir was declared the third prize winner.
The BDCC, with City Music Consultant Virginia Llamas Mendoza as conductor, was formed by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez to advance and develop the talents of young children in the field of music especially in singing.
It is composed of students from different public and private schools in the city aged 8 to 13 years old who started singing as a group on June 2015.
In their first exposure in 2015, BDCC was semifinalist in the Manila Broadcasting Company National Choral Competitions.
In 2016, they were declared champion in the 1st Malaysia International Children’s Choir Festival, their first international exposure.
In that competition, the BDCC also bagged two major awards, one as the Most Promising Overseas Choir and another, the Mayor’s Award, in their rendition of the ” O Sanctissima and Orde E”, their two winning pieces.
For winning the championship in Malaysia, the BDCC was honored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCAA) in the 9th Ani ng Dangal last February 27 during the 2017 National Arts Month and by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry Incorporated during the 30th Awit Awards on November 19.
The BDCC is composed of Aaron Van M. Meneses of West Central Elementary School; Adanna P. Villamil, Alleya Vanna M. Meneses, Alloida Yssa Bele P. De Guzman, and April Joy G. Oliveras of Saint John Cathedral School; Alexa R. Torres and Angel M. Gutlay of JJDVS Tech-Voc Secondary School; Althea Lei Jewei L. De Leon, Bianca Yvessa A. Sindayen, Celeste N. Goroza, Drixsey Maye De Venecia, Gensheal Ira P. Hortaleza, Sohee M. Cho and Tiffany B. Cabrera of Dagupan City National High School; Andrei Von M. Hortaleza of Malued Elementary School; Angelica S. Bustillo and Juriel Gianna Verania of East Central Integrated School; Brent Paolo S. Sotto of Edna’s School; Chrystelle Jeyd Q. Mejia of LNU Creative Montessori Center; Jann Klein Ll. Mendoza of La Marea Academy; Janine Mae D. Munoz of Bolosan Elementary School; Joseph Raphael C. Lim and Mary Krystal Nicole O. Llamas of Saint Albert the Great School. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Nov. 27, 2017)