Cikal Serpong School Choir Shines at PICF 2024

JAKARTA, KalderaNews.com – Cikal Serpong School Choir made its debut at the Penabur International Choir Festival, where it successfully earned a Silver Award Level 4 in September 2024.

The choir, composed of 34 students from grades 2 to 6, showcased their talents by performing “Sukacita” and “Akatonbo.” This year’s PICF 2024 featured 5,038 participants and 126 choirs from various Indonesian provinces and ASEAN countries, including the Philippines.

Robby Nurabadi, the music educator and initiator of the Cikal Serpong Choir, explained that the choir was originally formed for students showing a keen interest in singing together.

“The Choir Cikal Serpong was actually part of my Personalized Curriculum Circle project as a music teacher during the 2022-2023 academic year, aimed at benefiting my interested students. I also invited other educators, such as Mrs. Resita Budiarti as the coach and conductor, and Mrs. Anastasia Paramita as another coach, with Mrs. Ayura as the choreographer,” he said.

Student Commitment and Parental Support

As one of the choir mentors, Robby expressed his admiration for the students’ enthusiasm and the parents’ support in attending to their children’s needs during rehearsals leading up to the competition.

“I see that the children are very focused and committed to the choir. They’ve even made a commitment to stay in shape before the competition, with regular practice and maintaining their health. The parents are very supportive and enthusiastic, playing a crucial role in the preparation and competition processes, including designing the costumes, which were specially crafted by one parent, Mrs. Mel Ahyar,” he shared.

First Performance, First Award

Despite competing in an international festival with many choirs, the students did not feel nervous. Robby noted that their four months of joyful practice paid off, as their performance impressed the audience, earning them the Silver Level 4 award.

“This was the first time Choir Cikal Serpong participated in the PICF, an international choir competition with dozens of participants from both domestic and international backgrounds. All of us mentors are incredibly grateful that the Cikal Serpong Choir achieved a Silver Level 4 medal, the highest Silver award based on score. This is the result of the children’s hard work over four intensive months,” he said with gratitude.

The Cikal Serpong School Choir will continue to perform in the future, with Robby mentioning upcoming appearances, including one at the Playground of Nusa Nipa in 2025.

Source: https://www.kalderanews.com/2024/10/11/cikal-serpong-school-choir-shines-at-picf-2024/