TAR University College Choir Society members with the trophies and certificates in the presence of Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok (front row, 7th from left), Mr Ung Thean Lim (front row, 8th from left), Director, DSA, Ms Ang Yaw Feng (front row, 6th from left) and Ms Regina Ong Ween Yen (front row, 9th from left).
The gleaming awards and the award certificates.
TAR University College via the University College’s Choir Society gained international recognition when the Choir Society’s members and alumni beat 70 other choir groups from various countries to win the Gold Award in the Chamber Ensemble category at the International Federation of Choir Music (‘IFCM’) World Choral Expo 2015 which was held from 10-15 November 2015 in Macau, China. Besides this, the students also won the Silver Award for the Youth Choir category. All in all, 35 students, 7 alumni and 2 University College staff represented TAR University College at the competition.
An interesting fact to note is that the IFCM World Choral Expo 2015 was the first international competition the Choir Society has participated in. “Besides this, most of the students who took part in this competition are new members of the Choir Society and they have very little knowledge about choir singing. However, this was not a hindrance for these students as they put in great effort and dedication in attending practices and working together to prepare well for this competition,” Ms Ang Yaw Feng, the choir instructor who is also a senior lecturer of the Faculty of Social Science, Arts and Humanities, delightedly shared.
Besides Ms Ang, Ms Regina Ong Ween Yen from the Department of Student Affairs (‘DSA’) was also involved in this competition where she played the piano as an accompaniment to the choir groups. In addition to this, with the financial support from the University College, the choir groups were further trained by a highly experienced external trainer.
The Choir Society’s President, James Toh Jian Hao, who is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electrical and Electronics, was overjoyed with this victory. “Although all of us come from different education backgrounds, we were able to synergise harmoniously due to our love for music. Participating in this competition has definitely exposed me to the international standard of choir singing. Furthermore, as the Society’s President, I have learnt important lessons on leadership and team work and as such, I am so grateful to TAR University College for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he explained.
The University College has been very supportive of the efforts of the Choir Society. As explained by Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok, President of TAR University College: “In addition to academic excellence, TAR University College is committed to ensuring its students gain many external experiences such as this competition which will help infuse in them self-confidence, team work and other useful skills. These hands-on skills will be of great advantage to students not only in their careers but in their lives”.
