If you want to perk up your Christmas spirit, don’t miss the performance of Adeste Fideles at the Santuario church in Forbes Park on Dec. 14, put on by the Management Association of the Philippines jointly with the Santuario de San Antonio Parish and featuring tenors Otoniel Gonzaga, Frankie Aseniero, George Yang, sopranos Rachelle Gerodias, Camille Lopez and Karla Gutierrez. The Manila Philharmonic Orchestra will perform under the baton of Rodel Colmenar. Participating choir groups are Coro Tomasino, Coro de San Antonio, Chiang Kai Shek College Youth Choir and Philippine Children Chorus from Mandaluyong City. Organist Alejandro Consolacion II will also play.
REP. ROILO S. GOLEZ, 2nd district, Paranaque: Adeste Fideles, of course, since my elementary days. I find it very spiritual... I find both the lyrics and the melody very stirring and apt for the arrival of Baby Jesus… It evokes the awesome feeling of being "joyful and triumphant."
WASHINGTON Z. SYCIP founder, SGV Goup: My favorite Christmas carol is The Twelve Days of Christmas. I like the way all the items are meticulously accounted for daily; it appeals to the bookkeeper in me.
DAVID L. BALANGUE, chair & managing partner, SGV & CO.: What Child is This? The melody of this song is a popular English tune, Greensleeves, which was written in the Elizabethan era. The lyrics are especially poignant, depicting a sleeping, innocent child who is indeed Christ the King. In all of God’s majesty, the song evokes the feeling of humility and trust, despite the homage shown by the Magi and the angels. The frail newborn is heralded as the Messiah, the Savior, who was born in very humble circumstances more befitting a shepherd’s son than the King of Kings. One is awed by the circumstances the Lord God has chosen to bring His Son to the world.
JUDY DUAVIT VAZQUEZ, chair & CEO, Mod.Net.PH Internet Imfrastracture, Inc.: The song that comes to mind is Merry Christmas, Darling by Karen Carpenter. It is not a Christmas carol, but a Christmas love song that is both modern and original. A true standout. It is sung in first person by a woman who is separated by distance from her lover. Appropriate in today’s times given the large number of Filipina overseas workers.
CESAR V. PURISIMA, chairman, Summersault, Inc.: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, sung solo by Andy Williams. The lyrics and title explain it all. Christmas is my favorite time of the year – it brings back the kid in all of us. It brings very pleasant memories of Christmas during my childhood back in Dadiangas with my grandparents when life seemed simple and everybody was always happy. Christmas brings out the good in all of us, that’s why it is the most wonderful time of the year for me.
CHIT U. JUAN, CEO, Figaro Coffee Inc.: The Christmas Song, with the opening line, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…" Even the melody alone puts one in a Christmas kind of mood and spirit. It is a classic. It is timeless. It reminds me of Christmas when the world was cooler and more peaceful.
MAUREEN V. SANTIAGO, executive vice president & COO, Capitol Wireless, Inc.: The Christmas Song, written by Mel Torme. It is one of the classics with such a nice melody and very warm message that it brings back a lot of childhood memories. The song summarizes how Christmas is celebrated throughout the world, looking at it from a child’s point of view. You could say it gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling each time you hear the song.
One could argue it relates too much to Western traditions but, coming from a multicultural home with my mother being American, we did celebrate with a mix of traditions. It’s great and today I share it with my four-year-old daughter, Aryanna, as I continue to enjoy the Christmas season through her eyes.
EDUARDO H. YAP, president Clairmont Group of Companies: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The angels announced the joyful and wondrous news of the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ. And here God chose ordinary people, the shepherds, to first accept and spread the glad tidings of the coming of the Savior. It gives a feeling of great hope at the salvation and joy of the coming of Christ. I particularly like the 1960s version arranged by Arthur Harris, performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy. Fittingly, the angels’ announcement is preceded by great fanfare with trumpets blaring and drums pounding by the orchestra then is followed by the choir, singing in unison the great news of the birth of Christ.
EVELYN R. SINGSON, president, Management Association of the Philippines E-Business Finanacial Services, Inc.: White Christmas. It reminds me of my two loneliest Christmases spent in the US as a student. It made me realize that Christmas will only be happy if spent with family and friends. Not even the most postcard-pretty Christmas scenes like the snow-covered trees and beautifully decorated homes you see only in Christmas cards can substitute for the warmth and affection of being home with your loved ones. We spent a very white Christmas as a family in the US a few years ago and the feeling was so different. The white Christmas was a blizzard that paralyzed transportation in New York City. But still, our family had so much fun playing and freezing in 36 inches of snow. Perry Como and Bing Crosby’s interpretations are, to me, the best arrangements of Irving Berlin’s classic and timeless tune.