Christmas cornucopia

Christmas is synonymous with music – with carols, villancicos, nativity songs both in English and Tagalog which are being aired intermittently these days over radio and television.

Hotels, private homes and other venues contribute to the sounds of Christmas music, and if you were to assiduously attend every program and concert, you could be spending Christmas Eve in bed.

Tomorrow afternoon, Nena R. Villanueva will play a few major works upon invitation of Dr. Meding Suntay who is inaugurating her nth house in Makati. Nena, our first international concertist, recently arrived from Tokyo where she played Préludes by Chopin and Rachmaninoff at a dinner Ambassador and Mrs. Domingo Siazon hosted for Japanese royalty.

The Christmas cornucopia includes Awit, Pag-ibig, Papuri which will feature operatic singer Gamy Viray along with pop singers Dulce, Freddie Aguilar, Isay Alvarez, Pinky Marquez, Bimbo Cerrudo and the UP Vocal Ensemble in praise-the-Lord songs composed by the prolific Mrs. Lourdes "Bing" Pimentel. Chinggoy Alonso directs the show set for Dec. 11 at Camp Aguinaldo (8 p.m.)

Also on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. the idealistic impresario Martin L. Lopez will present a FREE Christmas gift concert at the Philamlife auditorium with the audience listening to the UP Med Choir and the Hiraya All Men’s Chorus. The concert, open to all, will benefit Ang Arko Foundation (for the mentally retarded), the Basilan children (in dire need of food, clothes, books), and the Divine Mercy Mobile Center of Music and Arts Therapy (for the disabled).

It is earnestly hoped that the audience will generously respond. Checks to any of the foundations will be gratefully received.

The Clarion Chamber Ensemble concert on Dec. 15 at F. Santiago Hall – it starts at 6 p.m. – will end with a sing-along of Christmas carols after Haydn’s String Quartet, Brahm’s Sonata for clarinet and piano rendered by co-founder-pianist Hyun Joo Lee and PPO principal clarinetist Ariel Sta. Ana, Schubert’s Quartet in D Major with UST Professor-guitarist Alvin Salenga, founder-flutist David Johnson, principal cellist Renato Lucas and guest violinist Donald Kidd. The audience sing-along will be led by DZFE’s Bert Robledo.

On Dec. 16 (Monday) 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Mandarin Oriental will present at the Captain’s Bar tenor Nelson Caruncho and soprano Alegria Ferrer.

The following item came late: On Dec. 10, the young, highly talented pianist Jonathan Coo will give a concert at the UST Conservatory Recital Hall which will be highlighted by Grieg’s Concerto in A Minor, with Najib Ismail on the second piano. Other numbers: Beethoven’s Les Adieux Sonata, Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2, Mendelssohn’s Rondo capriccioso and Debussy’s Reflections in the Water.

Spilling from the Christmas cornucopia is the gladsome tidings that the UST Singers under Fidel Calalang won the hearts of Fil-Americans and music lovers in Wisconsin’s newlybuilt Sharon Lynde Wilson Performing Arts Hall. The choir sang with equal success at the St. John Catholic Cathedral in Milwaukee.

Christmas exhibits

Art lovers may view by appointment "Paintings for a Cause" at the Makati residence of Dutch Ambassador Theo and Kessara Arnold. The collection consists of European masterpieces and tulips by Mr. Arnold. This Sunday, it will be on display from 2 to 5 p.m.

It took Mr. Arnold three years to paint his tulips. Because he did them only after office hours, each tulip took 50 hours to finish! Proceeds go to Kessara’s favorite charities, primarily Fr. Giovanney’s San Pablo the Apostle Parish in Tondo.

A German retrospective entitled The Philippines ca. 1600-1900 is ongoing at the Lobby Art Café of the Intercon under the auspices of the Gallery of Prints. On view until Dec. 16 are old illustrations on the Philippines created, executed, or published by German explorers, artists and publishers.

Lithographies of nineteenth-century Mexico are on view at Ayala Museum until Dec. 31.