The 9th Chung-shan Cup Golden Throat Chorus Tournament was held on March 6, 2004, at National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. TKU Chorus beat other nine college teams and won the first prize.

Ten teams attended this chorus competition, including National Cheng Kong U, TKU, Chinese Cultural U, Shih Hsin U, and Soochow U. TKU surpassed the competitors with the appointed song “Forever My Hometown” and the selected song—“O magnum mysterium.”

The appointed song is a Taiwanese song. The judges are especially critical about the pronunciation and articulation of the Taiwanese tone. With hardworking practices, the TKU chorus members beat the other teams in this regard. “Those whose mother tongue is not Taiwanese have to memorize the Taiwanese lyric by phonetic transcription, and then modified by their seniors. To verse in the eight tones of Taiwanese is painstaking” Chen You-cheng, the leader of the chorus reflected.

The director and instructor of the TKU chorus, Tu Ming-yuan, attributed the success to the good choice of song and hardworking practices of the members. “O magnum mysterium” is an a capella, a song highly challenging in the virtuosity of performance. The intensity of response and saturation of harmony are very difficult. In the beginning of the performance, the chorus members concentrate on their nasal cavities and create a chanting harmony. The graceful harmony adds a modern sense to this religious song.