53 pupils from Kearsney College set off on a choir tour to Austria recently and while there, competed in a competition and won first place.
Vienna, Austria (04 July 2022) – The Kearsney College Choir recently set off on an adventure to Austria to compete at the Summa Cum Laude Youth Music Competition in Vienna in the Male Choirs category.
The choir is currently on tour through Europe, making stops in Salzburg, Vienna and Prague. The tour was highly anticipated as it was the first time since the pandemic that they had been able to travel.
“Following the postponement of the 2020 World Choir Games, and Kearsney’s decision to withdraw from the 2021 competition due to COVID complications, these talented boys have been itching to perform on the world stages once again.”
The opportunity to perform in the Summa Cum Laude Youth Music Festival and Competition in Vienna was grabbed with both hands”.
The 53 performers and five teachers set off on the 28th of June for a 10-day tour. The first leg was in Salzburg, and tomorrow marks the last day in Vienna, Austra. The next stop is Prague, where they will tour until the 8th of July before returning home to a winner’s welcome!
The choir performed early in the day at the festival and had to spend the rest of the day in anticipation of the final results. Thankfully, the wait was worth the result, and efforts paid off with a first-place win.
“The results are in!
Yesterday our choir took part in the Summa Cum Laude Youth Music Competition in Vienna in the Male Choirs category. They were very happy with their performance, which was the first of the day, yesterday. They had to wait patiently for the results, which have been announced in the last hour. The Kearsney College Choir came FIRST in the Male Choirs section with an “Outstanding Success” rating. Well done boys and staff. We know it takes a tremendous amount of work and it has paid off.”
There is no footage of the winning performance just yet, but they did share a stunning video of the performance at the Salzburg Cathedral. The song is a melody of a Ukrainian lullaby, led by Bernard Kruger and Indodana (Xhosa prayer).
“An awe-inspiring performance drew many visitors to the performance area. Both staff and boys were highly emotional after the performance. Visitors with tear-drenched faces approached the boys and teachers, expressing their appreciation and awe of the experience.”
Take a look at that performance below. We wish you all the best on the rest of the tour, and congratulations on the win; well done, boys!