Student New Song Festival 2024

Choir singing sometimes delivers a deeper emotional impact than excellent instrumental performances. The thrill of the moment when various voices come together to create harmonious chords is the charm that makes choir singing shine.

The Church of God held the “Student New Song Festival 2024,” with students from across the country participating during the winter break. The purpose is for students to praise the God Elohim with beautiful harmony, reflecting on God’s good teachings embedded in the lyrics, and fostering character development.

The news of the choir competition, which came as a rare occurrence, sparked enthusiastic reactions among the students. At the end of December, one month before the main event, auditions were held to organize choir groups by Church Association. Approximately 2,300 students participated in the auditions. The students who passed the auditions gathered at representative churches of each Association, such as Suwon Homaesil Church and Busan Suyeong Church, and dedicated themselves to practice, harmonizing their breathing. Other students also prepared for the event with excitement, creating slogans and filming cheering videos to support the choir members.

On January 21, at the main event held at the New Jerusalem Temple Pangyo Church, a total of 2,800 people attended, including 940 choir members from all over the country as well as students, parents, and guiding teachers from the metropolitan area. Students and church members in regional areas gathered at representative churches of their Associations to watch the event via live streaming on YouTube, showing their support. The total number of viewers was approximately 4,000.

Before the event began, the Messiah Orchestra presented a celebratory performance. With upbeat and lively song selections like the New Song “Beautiful Is Today” and animation OSTs, the atmosphere was uplifted, causing excitement among the students. Following that, the Gyeonggi Western Church Association’s “Starlight Choir” took the stage, followed by ten teams of choirs, such as the “Father’s Dream Choir” and the “Twinkle Choir” in succession. As each team entered, the screen displayed cheering videos prepared by the students. Encouraged by the enthusiastic support, choir members momentarily relaxed their nerves and fully performed their honed skills. Songs filled with gratitude to God, joy of salvation, and hope for heaven, such as “Blessed and Holy Sabbath Day,” “Indeed, How Blessed We All Are!” and “Hosanna! Sing Praises to God!” were sung with clear and delicate voices, touching the hearts of the attendees.

Students who listened intently to their friends’ choir performances held their breath, and at the end of each stage, they showered them with generous applause and cheers. It wasn’t a competition to determine superiority, but rather a festival where participants encouraged each other and shared their emotions. The event concluded with the performance by the choir, symbolizing unity and love. Attendees left the venue with hearts full of the lingering impressions of the New Songs performed during the event. Ahn Seo-jin who came to the event at the invitation of a friend, expressed, “I feel so much love in the lyrics. It makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy.” With a wide smile, she remarked, “When I feel tired and exhausted, recalling the emotions I experienced today will give me strength.” Noh Chun-mi, a parent who came to support her daughter, a choir member, said, “Seeing the bright and lively faces of the children filled me with happiness. Just witnessing their joy was enough to make my day.” Expressing satisfaction, “I hope to see more programs like this that can make the most of the long vacation period. It would be great to see such initiatives become more active.”

The choir members, who spent countless hours practicing together, grew not only in skill but also in fellowship during the practice period. Hong Sun-tae, the conductor of the “Daol Choir,” commented, “It was heartening to see students gradually rally their hearts toward a common goal of the choir competition, despite the initial clutter during our first meeting. It was a joyful festival like the lyrics of the New Song,” and complimented the students’ passion. Yoon Jang-hwan, a choir member, remarked, “To create harmony, you must listen closely to the voices of those around you, but initially, there were many inexperienced moments. As we listened to each other’s voices and adjusted, the harmonies fell into place nicely, and I realized the importance of cooperation.” Bae Saniya said, “Gathering three times a week for practice, I learned many things from my fellow choir members, such as diligence and gracious deeds. I will be a high school student this year. I hope to set a good example for my juniors in the student group,” expressing her ambition.

“Now we all gather in Zion and stay forever with our brothers and sisters. Indeed, how blessed we all are! How happy we are!”

Just like the praise of New Song sung by the choir that day, the students were filled with joy and gratitude as they learned the value of togetherness. The footsteps of the students, recharged with energy through the New Songs, felt light as they approached the beginning of the new school year.

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