Choir contest kicks off 3rd Saleng Festival
A choir contest serves as a prelude to the 3rd Saleng festival this coming June; with contenders invited from Baguio and Benguet high schools.
According to the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) Assistant head Engr. Marivic Empizo, this year’s Saleng festival year entitled “Rhythm and Harmony of Nature” highlights the youth’s musical talents interplay with environmental issues and concerns.
The competition also serves as a springboard of the search for the annual festival’s official musical theme, Empizo added.
Champion voices take home P20,000 and a trophy, with second and third places having P15,000 and P10,000, respectively, with trophies as well.
The competition takes place at 1:00 in the afternoon of May 26 at the Rose Garden, Burnham Park; with a minimum of 12 singers, 20 at most, and a conductor, and accompanist, if any. Live accompaniment is permitted, but strictly not any playback or sound track, organizers from the CEPMO emphasized. Choreography is required, the competition guidelines state.
Two songs, “Awit ng Kalikasan,” by musician Chaz Katalbas and an original composition should be performed within ten (10) minutes; starting with the choir’s proper assembly and commencement of the song, but excluding the singers’ entrance, exit and duration of applause.
Musical scoring of Katalbas’ song shall be emailed to the participants for their perusal and practice. Meanwhile, the original composition’s content focused on nature and environment may be done in English, Filipino, any Cordilleran indigenous language, or a mixture of said languages. The use of explicit or offensive language; trademark or brand names is strictly prohibited.
The original composition should be submitted by the composer not later than May 15 at e-mail addresses cepmobaguio@gmail.com or pcocepmobaguio@gmail.com.
The common music piece is judged thus; blending and timbre – 30%, interpretation – 30%, choreography – 30%, and over-all impact – 10% while the original composition piece shall be judged on; melody and lyrics – 30%, relevance – 30%, interpretation – 30%, and overall impact -10%. Fifty percent of the scores of the two performed songs shall be combined for the total score, and ranked accordingly.
The composer reserves the rights to the song, no compensation and no participation fee is collected, nor solicited by the organizer.
The deadline for submission of entries is on April 28 through online registration at https://forms.gle/byVqJaa4BiS7i1qeA, but contest forms may be submitted at CEPMO, City hall.
Inquiries may be coursed through cp # 0939-2849-571.
The Saleng (Pine tree) festival was institutionalized with Mayor Benjamin Magalong formally signing the ordinance in Jan. 2022; as the local government and residents partner to act on the preservation and protection of the environment.
Activities for the four-month annual celebration starting June, are clean-ups; regreening; tree cart parade, exhibit and recognition; international day for biodiversity, world environment day, green thumb award day, fun run and cycling for the environment. – JGFianza
