Kuching school wins gold at Korean choir festival

KUCHING: The choir of St Joseph's Private School (SJPS) here added another feather to its cap.

Being the only representative from Malaysia, the SJPS Chamber Choir won the gold award in the Youth category of the virtual 2021 Busan Choral Festival and Competition last Saturday.

They defeated three other groups – two from Indonesia and one from South Korea – with a rendition of Ikan Kekek, a Malay children's song that encourages one to be kind and work hard to succeed.

The school shared the news on its Facebook page and congratulated the teachers and students involved.

“This is indeed our joy to bless many Malaysians with smiles through our rendition of Ikan Kekek,” it wrote.

Formed in 2017, the Chamber Choir had won the Gold B and second runner-up awards in the Secondary category of the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod National Virtual Choir and Vocal Festival 2021, and bagged the gold medal at the 2nd World Virtual Choir Festival last December.

The Busan Choral Festival and Competition is an annual music festival held in Busan of South Korea since 2005.

It was cancelled last year following the global Covid-19 pandemic.