After a two-year pandemic-imposed hiatus, the annual competition Qatar School Choir of the Year is back on the local music scene.
Inaugurated in 2017 to add new breadth to music education in Qatar, the competition exploded in popularity and participation, with choirs doubling in size and organising especially for the occasion.
Hosted for the first time at the new Al Wajba campus of Doha College, this edition involved sixteen choirs from all around the country singing under three age categories: five to eight, seven to 11 and 11 to 18 years old.
Newcomers Vision International School from Al Wakra had a fantastic experience, receiving the Stagecraft Award on their first participation.
International musician, conductor and lead adjudicator Greg Beardsell, who was involved in an astounding number of music education and performance initiatives, has been with the competition from the very beginning. This year, he was assisted in the difficult task of adjudicating the competition by long-time panel member International Centre for Music Principal Olga Protopopova and a valued new addition, Director Zlatan Fazlic of Qatar Music Academy.
According to Greg, the standards were incredibly high, on par with many reputable international competitions. The choirs put their own unique imprint on their performances that were engaging and fun.
More information about the competition is available here: Qatar School Choir of the Year
Winners
Doha College Prestos won the youngest category while the American School of Doha took the 7-11 trophy and the Dukhan English School choir, who call themselves DES SING! – well familiar with the QSCoY podium – won the 11-18 category. The overall 2023 title went to the well-deserving ASD choir, conducted by Brita Fray.
Another successful edition
Doha College Director of Music Steph Gomaa shared her sense of accomplishment at the end of another successful edition. She said it was absolutely wonderful to welcome 16 choirs from across Qatar as it highlights how strong the support for music and arts is in the country. She added that students from all the choirs gave fantastic performances and wowed audiences across the heats and the final.
I would like to extend congratulations and thanks to all the parents, the students for all their hard work, and the teachers for their hours of dedication.
To find out more about music education at Doha College, visit dohacollege.com.
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