Vancouver students win international choir competition

Some Vancouver high school students are jetlagged, but high on the thrill of victory after taking home top prize from a competition in Spain.

The senior chamber choir at Lord Byng Secondary School has won one of the biggest international choir festivals in the world.

Earlier this week, they were in Spain competing in the Golden Voices of Montserrat event. Now, the students are back in class, with their first place medals.

“It feels like a dream come true,” said Mary Wang, the alto section leader in the senior choir.

Choir director Lisa Lan, who also attended Lord Byng, said she is proud of the team’s big accomplishment.

“It was my dream every day as I drove by Lord Byng to someday create a program where students come together, not just for the love of singing, but because they love each other,” said Lan.

She said she faced challenges when she started the program 17 years ago. There was some resistance to even starting a choral program at Lord Byng, Lan said. And there was a lack of financial support. In the early days, Lan would use her own money to grow the program.

“I remember buying music with my own money because I really believed in this,” she said. “Over the years, it was really tough to maintain it. I’ve had two children along the way.”

She says the Golden Voices win goes out to everyone who helped make this possible.

“It’s every student that came along the way who believed in us, and every single administration, every staff and colleague. This win is greater than anything else,” she said.

The senior group was proud to represent their country. Lord Byng’s choir was the first Canadian group to participate in the competition.

“Just being able to represent Canada, to compete with different countries, it’s a very rare opportunity,” said Mary Wang.

In a time where the world is so divided, the students at Lord Byng Secondary School work to bring people together with their music.

Some students are carrying pins on their medals that were gifted to them by the Filipino choir that competed.

“Being an immigrant, I really value bringing people together and celebrating everybody’s diverse backgrounds,” said Lan. She says when her group was announced the winner, other countries competing chanted “Canada.”

The senior choir embraces diversity, and can sing in more than 10 languages.

“It surprises them, what Canadians can bring,” said senior choir singer Annie Song Wang.

As the seniors begin to plan for their next steps in life, they have formed bonds they will carry on with them. Choir member Shea Liu praises Lan for her lessons both inside and outside the group’s practices.

“Every one of us respects her so much as a person, as a mentor and as a mom,” she said.

Lan also feels that the students have taught her so much.

“Kids are so resilient and so much greater than what most people believe in. I am so proud of them like they are my own children,” she said.

For now, students are back in class, but mentally still riding the high of a major win.

“This is not only a win but an unforgettable experience we had in our lives,” said Liu.