This year's online event gathered 91 participants, including 28 choirs mainly from Southeast Asia.
The competition was culturally very diverse, for us, Europeans, it was almost a meeting with oriental music - says Krzysztof Baginowski, member of the CHAPS board.
During the festival, all participants emphasized their longing for normality and the possibility of giving concerts or even organizing musical rehearsals or meetings.
In Asia, the restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic have so far been radical, which makes it impossible to organize even small concerts with a limited audience - he adds.
Jan Szyrocki Academic Choir was appreciated by an international jury of conductors from Indonesia, Japan, Greece, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States, and the Philippines. The recording of "O Gloriosa Virginum" by Krzysztof Penderecki was entered into the competition.
The work prepared on the 50th anniversary of the events on December 17, 1970 in Szczecin was performed at home in the autumn of last year, during the lockdown period. Our idea has been appreciated by the international jury and the choral community from around the world - said Krzysztof Baginowski.
The academic choir from Szczecin won the gold medal in the "Open" category, receiving over 84 points from the jury.
This win is very important to us. During the festival, we turned out to be representatives of European music, so the desire to present ourselves well against Asian choirs was huge. Winning the virtual choir competition is also a small reward for us to wipe away tears, because at the beginning of 2020 our team was getting ready to go to the July choral festival organized in Bali. Unfortunately, due to the spread of the virus, the festival was cancelled, and we were forced to return the purchased airline tickets - says Krzysztof Baginowski.
On the website of the event, we read that the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic is very difficult for the Bandung Choral Society. The Association cannot continue its mission as it has so far, for example, by promoting the development of choirs in Indonesia and around the world. All concerts, educational programs, festivals, and competitions are cancelled.
