Regular winner in domestic choral competition, Hsinchu County’s Hngyang Na Atayal choir took part in the 2016 National Student and Teacher Folk Song Competition held at North Miaoli Arts Center on April 19-23. They impressed the judges with the songs Heavenly Sounds of the Bunun and Ode to the Sun and took first place. This is the third time in succession that the choir has taken the top spot in this competition and it has become the most-eye catching choir on the stage of national -level singing competitions.
Hngyang Na Atayal won two gold and one silver medal when invited to compete at the European Choir Games in July 2015 in Germany, the highest Gold Prize in the Mixed Chorus category in the National Choral Games in December 2015, and also won first place in the Indigenous Language Teacher category at the 2016 National Student and Teacher Folk Song Competition, the latter achievement the third time in the row the choir has taken top spot in this competition, showing that Hngyang Na Atayal is a No.1 chorus, not only domestically but also internationally.
Hngyang Na Atayal’s members are mainly junior high and elementary school principals and teachers from schools in indigenous townships, with a small number lowland junior high and elementary school teachers. The current leader of the choir is principal of Neiwan Elementary School, Chen Zhi-ming, while the conductor is Su Mei-juan of Taoshan Elementary School. Prof. Luo Zheng-rong serves as adviser. The choir practices in the evening weekly.
Apart from Hngyang Na Atayal, school choirs from Hsinchu County also took part in the 2016 National Student and Teacher Folk Song. Guangming Elementary School won first place in the Elementary School Holo category and a Merit in the Hakka Language category, Xinfeng Junior High School won a Merit award in the Junior High School Hakka language category, Jianshi Junior High School won a Merit in the Junior High School Indigenous Language category, and Taoshan Elementary School won a Merit award in the Elementary School Indigenous Language category, displaying time and again the fruits of the effort with regards musical education and diverse intelligence nurturing of various schools in Hsinchu County.