Day 25 – St. Leon’s Church (Paris, France)
The month of May has been an exceptionally significant one for the children of Virlanie Foundation. For 25 days, Virlanie Voices formerly known as the Masaya Choir embarked on another exhilarating journey to Europe giving smiles to everyone around them! In a short span of time, the Choir gained an immense amount of extraordinary and life-changing experiences. Truly, it was indeed a memorable one.
The journey started off with the Masaya choir representing the Philippines to perform at the Festival International de Chant Choral de Nancy. The three-day event brought so much joy to the children as they witnessed the audience being genuinely moved by their performances. Being the only choir representing the Southeast Asian region, the Virlanie Voices was honored to perform at this event.
Another highlight of the tour were the Choir’s short trips to Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. The young artists had the humbling experience to perform and meet the filipino communities and filipino dignitaries such as the Philippine ambassador to Germany and the cultural attached from the Philippine embassy to Belgium. It was also their first time performing in Switzerland!
But wait, there’s more! Virlanie Voices was also invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs to showcase their beautiful talents and to meet the Filipino Ambassador to France as well. They also had the privilege to perform at St. Bernadette’s Church in Paris together with the well-admired French singer, Hugues Aufray.
Apart from performances, the children were able to take pleasure in exploring what the country of France had to offer. Through the support of many compassionate and loving individuals, they were able to enjoy and see the beauty of France! In addition, they also had the opportunity to interact and enjoy the company of other kids through school visitations in Tourcoing and Roubaix. Through these personal encounters, Virlanie Founder, Dominique Lemay was able to advocate and educate many about the rights of the street children in the Philippines.
Amidst all the daily trips and performances, the smiles witnessed in each of the children’s faces were undoubtedly moving. At the end of the day, you could see the joy etched in their hearts because they have witnessed numerous people believing in them.
They have gained the assurance that they are not facing life alone and that many are all for their hopes and dreams. Throughout their journey, people gladly showed their love and support through helping out and taking their time to personally meet them.
What an amazing and rewarding tour it truly has been! With our heartfelt sincerity, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who became a part of it. Salamat po for loving the children of Virlanie and for believing in them.
If you want to know more about this trip, please visit: http://www.virlanie.org/news/article/2016ChoirTour/
