UV Chorale's back-to-back concert with UE Chorale a success

CEBU, Philippines – vations,” the back-to-back concert of University of the Visayas Chorale and the University of the East Chorale staged at the Philamlife Theater in UN Avenue, Manila last April 24, was hailed a success. Both university choirs delivered performances that lived up to the honors they earned under the tutelage of multi-awarded choirmaster, Anna Tabita Piquero.

The concert started off on just the right note, with the choirs jointly opening the show with the soaring World Youth Day 2008 theme Receive The Power, which somehow came across as an ode to the UV Chorale's one-of-a-kind experience at the said high-profile youth gathering, wherein they became the only Filipino performing group invited to sing during its festivities.

What ensued next was the promised showdown, wherein the two choirs alternated in showcasing the best of the best from their signature songs as they transitioned from genre to genre (pop, religious, classical, ethnic and folk).

The UV Chorale's repertoire included Auf Dem See, Maghimaya Ka Maria, Besame Mucho, Estrella E Lua Nova, One By One, Usahay, Kampupot Sagol, Amigos Para Siempre, Macarena and Shout For Joy. The UE Chorale rendered Psalm 100, Ehre Sei Gott, Caridad Del Cobre, Canto Negro, Janger, Bomalaca, Tong Tong Pakitong, La Vie En Rose, and Rock Me Amadeus. 

The grand finale was From A Distance, which turned out to be one of the most applauded numbers for the vocal showdown of the three female soloists-two of whom are from the UV Chorale (sopranos Feena Sabsy Troyo and Sandy Belle Caballero.) As audience members greeted the finale with a standing ovation and boisterous requests for an encore, Piquero made sure to pay tribute to the choirs' patrons, including the founder of the UV Chorale, UV executive vice-president Dr. Jose "Dodong" Gullas and his wife, Nena, who graced the affair. "Without our benefactors, we would never be able to sustain our passion for music," Piquero said.

The choirs then pulled a surprise by singing one of Gullas' favorite songs, Windmills Of Your Mind. Then came another encore—the spirited song-and-dance number Boogie Wonderland—aptly ending the show on a high note. 

Still and all, more than just a concert to celebrate each choral group's successes in the past year, it also provided very positive exposure for our homegrown choir among Manila's established choirmasters, choral groups and solid group of choral music aficionados. 

True, there’s a lot of work to do for a regional choir to make its presence truly felt in an already very competitive field, but the reception of the audience seemingly spoke volumes of the UV Chorale's impact that night, as well as its future in the national choral scene, which has long been dominated by Manila-based choirs.

The audience may have held back at first, reserving the loud cheers for the UE Chorale, but in the end, they also gave it to the UV Chorale—that kind of unbridled appreciation that really did the very few Cebuanos in the crowd proud.

According to UV Chorale manager Mrs. Nena Gullas, the composer, arranger and choirmaster Arwin Tan told her that whatever tentative performances that he had seen in the choir in the past were nowhere to be found during the concert. "He said the choir has outdone itself," Mrs. Gullas proudly related.

Ralph Hoffman of Novo Concertante also hailed the UV Chorale's debut in Manila, telling The FREEMAN, “Like most if the not all of the people in the audience, it was the first time I heard them sing, and I must say, they really are impressive. They have great potential to win more competitions—national and international. Congratulations to the choir and to its choirmaster, Anna. May they keep up the good work!”

The back-to-back concert also served as a kick-off to a busy schedule for the choir this year. Prior to the concert, the UV Chorale was one of the featured choirs at the National Masterclass Series for Choral Conductors by the Philippine Choral Directors Association (PCDA) last April 14-18, 2009 in Baguio.

International performances and competitions are in the offing. The UV Chorale will head for Montreal, Canada this end of May for a concert tour. It is also slated to compete in Indonesia on June and in Manila on August. (NMT)