Time out for pleasure

About three years ago, I attended a soirée featuring the students of Maestra Mercedes Matias Santiago. It was held at the residence of Rosa Hu, widow of Willie Hu, a businessman who loved to sing. A tenor he sing operatic arias, and the charming hospitable Rosa keeps his love for music alive by holding soirées.

Last Saturday, some ten amateur singers gave an impromptu, unrehearsed song recital in Rosa’s mansion, their voices in varying stage of training and development.

The life of the soirée proved to be Monette Villanueva Forte, a voice teacher who resides in Hawaii. She not only interpreted a number of songs, among them Memory and Jurame, and hits from South Pacific and Phantom of the Opera but also served as a witty, spirited emcee and piano accompanist to some singers, herself included!

Participants with the most developed voices were two tenors: the Filipino Fr. Cleofas, a Greek Orthodox priest who studied in Italy under Bartolucci, student of Gigli, and is now training under Dodo Crisol, and noted artist Allan Cosio who is serious about his singing that his mentor Mamerto Villaba is preparing him for a recital possibly this year. (Incidentally Allan is currently holding an exhibition of nudes at the Alliance Francaise Gallery, which show ends in September.)

Fr. Cleofas interpreted Che Gelida Manina (from La Roheme), Nessum Dorma from Turandot and Leoncavallo’s Matinata. Fr. Cloefas has tremendous vocal power, and firmly sustains his high notes. Among the arias Allan rendered was Lamento di Fedrico, his voice full-toned, rounded and resonant. He has had less training than Fr. Cleofas, but his performance is just as intense. The two tenors, among the singers that night, are closest to joining the professionals.

In a sense, one derives a lot of pleasure listening to amateurs. They have neither inhibitions nor affectations, and they sing with considerable enthusiasm and gusto.

Dennis Teng and Willy Cuanco interpreted with much spirit a medley of Neapolitan songs. Ronald Ng sang Gia sole dal Gange. Ivi Cosio, artist and actress, expressively sang And This Is My Beloved and Ay Kalisud; Mimi Sison, a lawyer, interpreted the aria Mon coeur s’ouvre á ta voix (My heart at thy sweet voice) from Saint-Saens’ Samson et Dalila, and Vorrei. George Yang was much applauded for Torna a Sorrento and Gira Con Me, as was Richard Yu for Granada.

Tall and lissome Shirley Bangayan showed much promise, her voice growing increasingly full in the upper register, in Jealousy and Diligan Mo ng Hamog. Shirley’s daughter Maybelle Bangayan Ti chose songs well suited to her youth: I Enjoy Being a Girl and On My Own.

Last but not least, Robert Yap, Rosa’s shy uncle, sang Joyce Kilmer’s Trees with those lovely lines: "Poems are made by fools like me. But only God can make a tree." Robert’s son Edward, a tenor did not feel quite ready to sing; instead he entertained guests with interesting and amusing anecdotes about famous opera singer like Maria Callas and Leonard Warren.

Before the night ended, all sang a number known to each of them, I believe it was Be My Love, then promised to sing together again – soonest – for the sheer joy of it.