The Woodrose Chorale credited their hard work and constant effort to improve their skills as what earned them major accolades in the recently held Golden Voices of Montserrat 2025 international choir competition in Spain.
After competing with 10 other choir groups from countries including Turkey, Lithuania, USA, Finland and Indonesia, the Philippine-based all-girls chorale—whose members range from 12 to 18—took home the first prize in the Folklore category and the second placement in the Children’s Choir category.
The group sang their rendition of Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak” in the Children’s Choir category, while they rendered songs in Tagalog and Visayan languages for the Folklore category.
Banking on the regular training they had and the discipline they built, the chorale brought honor to the country on the international stage with the guidance of their conductor Myrene Bagayaua Carballo.
The Spain competition marked the Woodrose Chorale’s first international tilt in five years. Prior to this, the chorale competed in Bratislava, Slovak Republic where they won two golds, one special award, and the competition Grand Prix.
The Woodrose Chorale is set to take a brief break before they resume training anew for an upcoming international choir competition that will be held in Palawan this coming August.
‘Muscle memory’
Gianna Olivares, one of the Woodrose Chorale members, attested to how the group persevered during their preparations for the prestigious competition, with choir practices as part of their day to day schedule.
The preparations also included adjustments such as balancing attending to their academics and being part of the chorale.
“When I was standing there [at the competition], it wasn’t scary anymore because we’ve been practicing those pieces for so long. It felt like muscle memory,” Gianna told INQUIRER.net in an exclusive interview.
“It just felt like I was more accomplished because, like, this is what we’ve been working for for so long and we’re finally doing it. And I think our Folklore competition was one of the best runs we ever did,” she said, noting how the competition category included participants that are much older and seasoned than them.
Gianna’s mom Charisse, who was also with the group in Spain, was overwhelmed with pride and joy as she recalled, “We were all in tears; all the parents. It was really a good experience for the girls, and they also met a lot of people.”
Charisse further noted that had the group not won the awards, they would still be winners with all the learnings they gained from the event.
Recalling the announcement of the winners, Gianna admitted that the group had fears of losing but that they just surrendered it all and held onto their faith.
“We were all super happy that we won and it felt like there’s no more stress about ‘What if we didn’t perform well? What if we don’t represent our country properly?’” she said.
Aside from the competition, the Woodrose chorale were also invited to perform at a gala concert and to sing at Montserrat Basilica. They also sang during a Sunday mass and impressed the mass attendees that the latter even approached the chorale to commend them.
Filipino talent on global stage
Gianna was all praises for the other choirs as well whom she said were supportive and cheering for them despite them being competitors. She added that two of the choir groups even sang Filipino songs as well.
“It means we’re not just good in singing but we’re also good composers,” Charisse then underscored. “We have it in us. We just have to have the opportunity.”
Expressing her hopes for her daughter as she continues to pursue singing, Charisse added, “I hope it gives her more confidence to join other things and know that she can do it. These girls are very good; they can have it all. I hope they open their eyes to other things that they can achieve, not just in the Philippines but globally.”
Gianna, for her part, expressed her gratitude for her mom as well as for the parents of her fellow choir members.
“I know it’s an opportunity that not everyone can receive, and I appreciate also our sponsors and everyone who believed in us,” she said.
Addressing those who are also persevering to pursue their dreams, she advised, “Don’t stop trying because before I went to Spain, I was also super scared… I kind of didn’t expect the win but at the same time, I knew that we deserved it. Keep trying because you don’t know, maybe you’ll win, too.”
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