Doha College hosts sixth 'Qatar School Choir of the Year' contest

Doha College, one of the oldest international schools in Qatar, recently hosted the sixth edition of the nationwide choral competition for children, 'Qatar School Choir of the Year' (QSCoY).Launched in 2017 with the motto 'Uniting Children through Singing,' QSCoY experienced a surge in popularity and participation.The event hosted at Doha College's Al Wajba campus, featured 16 choirs from across the country competing in three age categories: 5-8, 7-11 and 11-18. Taking the helm this year was Doha College’s new director of music, William Morrow, who led the various music departments through the two-day event.This year’s lead adjudicator, Alison McNeill, a UK-based opera singer, conductor, and musician, led workshops and supported pupils and staff in delivering outstanding performances. She was joined in the grand final by long-time panel member Olga Protopopova, principal of the International Centre for Music, and Zlatan Fazlic, director of the Qatar Music Academy, who also delighted the audience with a performance conducting the "Qatar Junior National Choir."This edition saw new laureates GEMS Wellington in first place in the 5-8 category. Last year’s champions, American School of Doha, repeated their win for the 7-11 category, while Park House English School clocked their first victory in the 11-18 category and the overall QSCoY award.Morrow, shared his elation at the completion of his first QSCoY edition. "I was extremely impressed by the performances of all choirs from across Qatar, and as host of my first QSCoY competition, it highlighted to me how strong the support for music and arts is across the country. All students dazzled audiences and the adjudication panel. I want to extend a huge congratulations and thanks to parents, the students for all their hard work, the teachers, conductors and accompanists for their hours of dedication and commitment."Principal David Tongue, said: "I was absolutely delighted with the quality of the singing on display, and the judges had a challenging job choosing between the excellent finalists."