(ANS - Quito)- The Bicentenary Song Contest was organized by the Commission for the Bicentenary in Ecuador, the National Council of Salesian Education  and the Salesian Youth Movement. The final round was held on Friday 12 December in the "Bartolomé de las Casas" auditorium  on the "El Girón" campus in Quito.

Fr Jorge Molina, Provincial of the Salesians in Ecuador, welcomed all present, saying: "Tonight we are celebrating and Don Bosco will be happy, because music is one of the ways to be always happy and bring joy to others. Don Bosco said that 'an oratory without music is a body without a soul.'" Fr Molina also thanked all the bands for their participation and the organizers of the event.

The young people of the various bands were happy, satisfied and excited to be in the final. For example, Agustín Terán from the band of the "San José de Manta" Salesian Educational Unit said that he and his fellow band members had made a great effort in each round, to make a good impression. Domenica Astudillo from the band of the Don Bosco Oratory Cuenca said how difficult it had been for her group to practise and that their efforts were rewarded just by their being present in Quito.

When all nine bands had performed, the jury presided over by Catholic songwriter Juan Morales decided to award first place to the group "Vida en Ti".  Second place went to to the pupils of the Kennedy Don Bosco school and third to the "Cristobal Colón" Educational Unit  of Guayaquil.

 The photo gallery of the competition can be seen on the internet.

Published  26/12/2014