Exhilarating.

This is how Sherberk Cabrales, the conductor of the Saguday Chorale when they were pronounced as the category winner and awarded a Golden Diploma level 1 for the Musica Sacra or Latin catholic songs category during the prestigious 2023 World Choir Games held in Gangneung-si in South Korea, earlier this month.

The Northwestern University (NWU), Laoag City chorale group also secured the third place and Golden Diploma Level IV in the Folklore A capella category where they sang Ilokano Folksongs. 

“In terms of track records sa choral music, talagang ang Saguday Chorale ay new to the scene, kaya we are so lucky and grateful that God has showed and bestowed a huge blessing to the group kahit baguhan palang. To win in an international tilt – the biggest, the largest chorale competition at that, is such a huge blessing,” Cobrales gleefully shared.

The World Choir Games is the largest chorale competition in the world, which is held every two years.

This year’s competition, over 25,000 singers belonging to 308 chorale groups from 70 countries around the world competed.

The name of the chorale, which was taken from the Ilokano word “Saguday” connotes that one possesses good traits and is blessed with a clean mind, heart and soul. Traits, which according to Cobrales, is emulated by the 28 singers of the group.

“We were all amazed at their brilliance. We knew you were already goof and the world knows it too,” Atty. Ferdinand Nicolas, University President of the NWU, also expressed proudly.

For Niccol John Labaro, a singer of the chorale group, the emotional struggles he encountered in his competition journey was worth it for team’s win.

“Talagang nahihirapan kami sa training noong una. Yung mga iba rin naming kasama na baguhan sa choir lang, mas nahihirapan silang magbasa ng nota, pero masaya kami na-overcome naming iyon as a group,” he said.

Moreover, Reina Abrohena, also a singer for the group says she learned to be a team player by being a member of the Saguday Choral.

“Para sa mga future members ng Saguday Chorale, mag-try lang kayo ng best niyo dahil ito ay hindi solo competition. In here, we work as a group,” she said

Cabrales shared that in the future, he sees Saguday Chorale competing in other Grand Prix choral competitions in Europe, as long as the group continues with their training to hone and improve their craft.

“Ang sabi nga nila, if you can make it in World Choir Games, you can make it anywhere,” he shares. (JCR/MJTAB/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)