Dubbed best in Dubai, Pinoy choir wows UAE audience

Dubbed the "best choir in Dubai" in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the all-Filipino, 30-member "Dubai Vocal Ensemble" wowed the expatriate community in a one-hour concert on Monday night. A report of Gulf News quoted Zachary Rush, a Dubai-based American music teacher, as saying, "This is the best choir I've seen in Dubai. They sang from the heart, they sang with emotion, they sang with a purpose. Their sound was incredible and I am left speechless." The Dubai Vocal Ensemble held a concert at The Fridge in Al Qouz, its first since it started in 2004. The choir performed choral works, ballads, world folk, Filipino folk songs and also belted out its version of Lady Gaga's "Pokerface" and the Beatles' "Let it Be," the report said. The ensemble includes Filipino expatriates from different fields, such as engineers, architects, and artists. Its members regularly sing for the St. Mary's Church, weddings, concerts for a cause, and other events. Gulf News said the choir will have a two-hour concert at the St. Mary's Church on November 24. It is also preparing for an international competition in Istanbul, Turkey in 2012. The report quoted Karel Costenoble, who has lived in Dubai for 25 years, as saying, "It was tropical; for us it was nice. Coming from Europe, it's nice to get to know other culture here." - VVP, GMA News