The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible achievement of our very own Shallaway Youth Choir.

Just recently, Shallaway became the first choir from the province to reach the final round of the prestigious Seghizzi Choral Competition Grand Prix in Italy. Competing against choirs of all ages and genres, Shallaway was awarded a third overall finish.

Mr. Speaker, on top of this significant achievement, Shallaway received two other noteworthy accolades at the Grand Prix – a gold medal in the gospel category, and a silver medal in contemporary music.

Congratulations to all the musicians in Shallaway’s Camerata, as well as artistic director Kellie Walsh, collaborative pianist Leslee Heys, and associate director Jennifer Hart.

Shallaway is an internationally recognized and celebrated organization that is dedicated to exploring, developing, and celebrating cultural expression through choral music. As ambassadors for our province, Shallaway has travelled the world sharing music from Newfoundland and Labrador. Currently, the choir is still touring Italy, and will soon sing a full mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Mr. Speaker, these young men and women are the future leaders of Newfoundland and Labrador, and I ask all Honourable members to join me in recognizing Shallaway Youth Choir on their incredible achievement.