Chengdu Teachers' Choir hits a high note with win at world competition

When the voices of more than 40 countries and regions filled a concert hall in Helsingborg, Sweden, this August, a teachers' choir from Chengdu, Sichuan province, added its own distinctly Chinese sound to the international chorus.

The Chengdu Teachers' Choir won a gold medal in the folklore and indigenous music a cappella category at the 14th World Choir Games, one of the world's leading international choral competitions, which brought together more than 160 choirs for the championship round.

The choir impressed the jury with three works representing different musical styles and rich Chinese folk songs, including Auspicious Sunshine, Herdsmen's Song and Yimeng Folk Song. Their polished performances and clean, resonant harmonies earned them a place among the top ensembles in their category.

More than a competition victory, the gold medal offered a glimpse of the professional strength and artistic aspirations of Chengdu's primary and secondary school music teachers.

The choir members came from music-teaching positions at schools across all 23 districts, cities and counties of Chengdu. They are also outstanding representatives of a group of Chinese teachers participating in an international cultural exchange program, serving as ambassadors for people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries.

Their journey to the international stage began months before the competition.

Systematic training started in the first half of the year, with a specialized program introduced in April to strengthen the choir's performance ahead of the World Choir Games. The organizers also created opportunities for international artistic exchange, inviting Johan Rooze, an international expert and the artistic director of the World Choir Games, to China.

Rooze worked with the participating groups through several rounds of intensive, one-on-one training. He focused on individual vocal sections, refined details in the singing, improved the balance and texture of the harmonies, and shared his experience of performing at international choral competitions.

For the teachers, the trip to Sweden was therefore more than a contest. It was also an opportunity for professional study and cultural exchange.

At the World Choir Games, they encountered leading choirs from around the world and gained firsthand exposure to different approaches to choral singing, artistic interpretation and stage performance. Through competition and exchange, they broadened their artistic horizons and brought new ideas and techniques into their own practice.

The experience is expected to continue after the teachers return to their classrooms.

Back in Chengdu, the teachers plan to incorporate what they learned and experienced abroad into everyday teaching, from school choir programs to extracurricular arts groups. Their goal is to introduce students to a more diverse, open and inclusive understanding of music and artistic expression.