Potential and prospects of music strikingly confirmed

Record attendance and individual meetings shape twelve memorable days in Shaoxing

Record attendance, a consistently high standard, brilliant first class performances and twelve days of intercultural encounters in the spirit of peace and understanding – the World Choir Games (WCG) in Shaoxing, China, strikingly confirmed the potential and the forward-looking prospects of the biggest choir competition worldwide.

Günter Titsch, INTERKULTUR President and creator of the idea and the name of the WCG: “For the 6th time the vision of the World Choir Games has become a reality. Choral music provides especially young people of different proveniences the experience of direct encounters with the youth of other regions and continents.” Especially the large number of individual bridges across borders and cultural differences is “invaluable in this day and age”, according to Titsch.

From July 16 to 26, 472 choirs and jurors from 83 nations – more than 20 000 participants – attended the 6th edition of the World Choir Games, the success story of which started in Linz, Austria in 2000. Totally, more than 220 000 visitors poured into the city of Shaoxing to attend competitions and concerts as well as other events on the occasion of the city’s anniversary. In 2010 the “Venice of the East” at the Pearl River celebrates the 2500th anniversary of its foundation.

In the Champions Competition of the WCG 66 gold, 117 silver and 28 bronze medals were awarded. 19 choirs were priced with the highest title “Champion of the World Choir Games”. China won the most gold medals (22), followed by Indonesia (seven) and South Africa (six). The United States and China/Hongkong won either five gold medals. In the Open Competition the jury awarded 74 gold, 133 silver and 32 bronze diplomas. Not only the absolute numbers of actors and trophies are a sign of a new record in the history of the WCG, but the results in the various categories also prove a high level of quality and an increasing cultural diversity of the presented choral music.

Two choirs from the United States, Men in Blaque and Voices of Unity from the U.S. state of Indiana, were among the winners in the Champions Competition. In 2012 the 7th World Choir Games will be held in Cincinnati, located in the neighbouring state of Ohio. Cincinnati presented itself to the international choir community with a show program dedicated to music, dance and acrobats that whetted appetite for the host city at the Ohio River. The “American Evening” was enthusiastically received by the audience, the general tenor was: “We are no longer strangers”. It’s a summary of the memorable days in Shaoxing and at the same time a promise for 2012.