The quiet moments of the movement

Better quality than the first time.

For the second time, the "Singing Contest for Union Members, Workers, and Employees of Binh Thuan Province" was held with 113 contestants from 86 grassroots trade unions under the district-level and industry-level labor federations, who joined at the last minute to demonstrate their dedication and participation in the movement. With songs about their homeland, praising the glorious Party and beloved Uncle Ho; traditional revolutionary songs, songs about their professions and labor, songs praising Binh Thuan province, the trade union organization, and love for the country and people of Vietnam... Each contestant almost completely dedicated themselves to the performance, which was based on the trust placed in them by their respective units.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phoi, Chairman of the Provincial Labor Union, observed: This is the second time the competition has been organized, with enthusiastic participation from contestants and units, especially union members and workers from remote areas and Phu Quy island district. Union members and workers, regardless of age or profession, still have a passion and enthusiasm for cultural and artistic movements initiated by the labor union and local authorities.

Poet and musician Do Quang Vinh – Head of the judging panel – observed: “This competition has been outstanding in terms of content and professional quality. In particular, a new feature is that the organizing committee boldly mandated that contestants perform songs about President Ho Chi Minh. This is also the first time that the judging panel members have had to work continuously for a long period across eight competition sessions. Musician Do Quang Vinh frankly shared that the advantage of the competition lies in its quality because the expanded range of participants has led to the emergence of many new talents and many outstanding performances about the homeland, President Ho Chi Minh, and various professions. Many contestants have demonstrated their ability to choose songs, as well as their arrangement and orchestration, combined with their performance style and skillful handling of song nuances, resulting in works of high artistic quality.”

There are still some quiet moments.

Considering the scale of the competition, the organizing committee worked hard to prepare thoroughly, not only arranging bands for contestants to perform live, but also organizing rehearsals many days before the official competition. They also provided facilities for contestants and supported accommodation for those from afar.

The competition still has many shortcomings, shared poet and musician Do Quang Vinh. While contestants from civil servant unions have the opportunity to hone their skills and have time to practice, the workforce is at a disadvantage, lacking access to technical equipment. The same applies to song selection; although this is a solo competition, many contestants mistakenly chose marches (typically sung by male or female choirs), thus failing to fully convey the spirit of the songs. Even though the competition is a grassroots movement, contestants should pay attention to basic mistakes when performing songs, such as spelling errors, pitch and rhythm in the lyrics, and performance style, as these can significantly impact their performance.

Throughout the eight competition sessions, there was a regrettable situation that, from the perspective of those working in the arts and culture, needs to be addressed. During the competition, except for the opening and closing ceremonies and the awards presentation, the hall was crowded with supportive audience members. However, in the subsequent sessions, apart from the judges, contestants, and the band, the auditorium was sparsely populated. Contestants were almost "alone" in the competition. This also affected the contestants' morale, as they were the ones chosen to represent their own agencies and units. Even the musicians playing for the competition shared: "Sitting on stage looking down was so depressing." In any competition, performance, or cultural program, the audience is the source of motivation and excitement for each individual on stage. Unfortunately, in many competitions, we still haven't fully achieved this, not just the "Singing Contest for Union Members, Workers, and Employees of Binh Thuan Province, 2nd Edition – 2023".

With the hope that the competition will be maintained, overcoming any periods of stagnation to become an ideal annual gathering place for union members and workers after tiring working hours, helping the workforce to work enthusiastically in production and make positive contributions to the development of agencies, units, businesses, and Binh Thuan province.