ALKHOBAR, 23 July 2006 — The Prime Note Ensemble (PNE), a group of Filipino a cappella singers in the Eastern Region, are set to compete in the ongoing 4th World Choir Olympics in Xiamen, China.

The 23-member choir left on Thursday for Hong Kong and proceeded yesterday to Xiamen, one of the beautiful coastal towns in South China, in time for its scheduled performance tomorrow.

More than 400 groups from 47 countries, with an estimated 20,000 singers, are participating in the choral competition, which started July 15 and ends on July 26.

Aside from the PNE, ten excellent choirs are coming from the Philippines, including the University of Northeastern Choral, University of Pangasinan Glee Club, Kilyawan Boys Choir, Olongapo Youth Choir, Mapua Concert Singers, AUP Ambassadors Chorale Arts Society, Caceres Chorale, Metropolitan Children’s Choir of Camerata Lifeway Ministries Inc., Sts. Peter and Paul Children Choir, and the University of the Philippines Medicine Choir.

Although the PNE is represent the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, it is officially carrying the colors of the Kingdom.

“Our application was approved as Filipino choir based in Saudi Arabia,” according to Fitzgerald Solar, the group’s musical director.

Solar, a graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Music and an orchestra conductor in the Philippines, trained the group for less than six months.

“The biggest challenge for me is to convert my years of experience in conducting an orchestra with musical instruments into an a cappella group with no association of any musical instruments,” Solar said.

He said the biggest challenge for the ensemble is their four tongue-twisting pieces. These are the Idemdem Mallida, a planting song of the Itneg tribe in the northern Philippines; Yagi Bushi, a Japanese war song; Ein Jaeger Lauf, a German hunting song; and the English fast song I’m a Train.

“We are neophytes in this competition, but all are in high spirits by just joining this event,” PNE President Medard Obida said in an interview before the choir left Dammam on Thursday. He said that as soon as the PNE received the final invitation early this year from Musika Mundi, the Olympic’s organizer based in Germany, the group wasted no time practicing.

Few Donors

Obida said the choir members were going to the competition with their personal resources. “We were originally 25 in all, but due to financial constraints, two members backed out,” he said. The total budget the group needs was SR115,000 to defray their travel and accommodation expenses in China. However, the group was able to raise only SR30,000, which was given by Sheikh Khalid Al-Abdulkharim Group and Chris Dupaya.

The group asked for support from the POLO-OWWA office in Alkhobar and community organizations in the Eastern Region but no help came, according to Obida. “We did not push too hard in soliciting help. We understand (that it’s not easy to raise funds). But we know we still have the support of all Filipinos in Saudi Arabia,” Obida said.

Creative Director Jojo de Luna wished all OFWs not only in Saudi Arabia, but the whole Middle East, to extend support to PNE through prayers.

Joining Obida and Solar were Joel Macapas, Roger Garcesa, Edgar Presenio, Eric Yabut, Jonar Sara, Dennis Quaimabao, Aye Prestoza, Ricardo Secuelan, Jojo Flores, Cris Dupaya, Rodel Dayto, Cris Prestoza, Carmelo Andrada, Jerry Obida, Peter San Diego, Marc Dumagat, Sonny Sansano, Jet Alura, Jun Oxales, Erwin Relox, and Eleazar Lising.