Pinoy excels in UK Band / 34 soloists in ‘Operanow’ / Honors for Sigma Deltans

Tonight, British Ambassador Peter Beckingham and his wife Jill will host a dinner-musicale "to welcome and hear the Imperial Brass Group from London."

A brief background on the band, graciously provided me, follows. Imperial Brass has existed in various forms for many years. To extend the repertoire and scope of the group it was reformed as a dectet in October 2002. Since then the group has performed with a wide range of repertoire in a variety of venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the premier classical music venue in London.

The dectet is made up of performers from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Music. The line-up consists of four trumpets, French horn, four trombones and tuba, a traditional ten-piece brass group for which there is a great deal of repertoire both original material and arrangements.

Most members also play in Imperial College Symphony Orchestra, having recently toured with it to Italy and Paris. The musicians have experience in a large spectrum of musical genres including big band, orchestral, solo, early and chamber music. Individual members have performed with the Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra and other RCM ensembles, the National Youth Brass Band, National Youth Jazz Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra. Last season’s highlight was a fanfare performance to welcome HM The Queen of England to the opening of the Imperial College’s entrance and business schools.

One of its founding members is Filipino talent Alaric Saludo who at eleven won a scholarship to Wells Cathedral School, one of England’s state funded schools for gifted young musicians where he studied under renowned trumpeters. On finishing at Wells, he won the school’s Nathan Hewitt Trumpet Award. Saludo has since played in many prestigious concerts around the world including one for HM Queen Elizabeth II. Currently, Saludo is on his final year in a four-year course leading to a master’s degree in chemistry at London’s Imperial College of Science.

Members of the Imperial Brass are trombonists Douglas Murdoch, Louise Oakes and David Taylor, trumpeters Felicity Coad, Daniel Burchette, Alaric Saludo and Steve Edwards, tuba player Jeremy Snead, horn player Martin Priestly and percussionist Matthew Henry.

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Expect a wide variety of vocal timbers, styles and personalities when a total of 34 soloists – sopranos, tenors and baritones – perform in a gala concert, titled "Operanow" on July 16 at the CCP main theater.

The sopranos, in alphabetical order, are Jal Sabas-Aracama, Fides C. Asensio, Karina Balajadia, Lisa Cabahug, Marian Cabahug, Aileen Cura, Alexis Edralin, Nenen Espina, Anna Feleo, Alegria Ferrer, Rachelle Gerodias, Jay Glorioso, Joanna Go, Cynthia Culig-Guico, Karla Gutierrez, Lorna Llames, Camille Lopez-Molina, Kitchy Molina, Thea Perez, Irma P.E.- Potenciano and Katrina Saporsantos.

The singers are not necessarily listed in the order of talent or competence. At any rate, although comparisons are odious, these will be inevitable during the actual performance.

The same will apply to the tenors and baritones who are again listed herewith in alphabetical order: Ramon Acoymo, Noel Azcona, Nolyn Cabahug, Leslie Diaz, Ronan Ferrer, Juan Alberto Gaerlan, Pablo Molina, Nazer Salcedo, Jack Salud and Jonathan Velasco.

Many of the relatively little-known singers might spring surprises on the audience. Of the motley group a number are now teaching: Acoymo is dean of the UP College of Music; Asensio is head of its voice department; both Potenciano and Gerodias are voice professors at the UST Conservatory of Music; Espina trains students at St. Scholastica’s College of Music.

Arias from the following operas will be rendered: La Boheme, Aida, Turandot, Carmen, Madame Butterfly, La Traviata, Samson et Delilah, Pagliacci, Norma, Lakme, Die Fledermaus, The Magic Flute, Gianni Schicchi, Barber of Seville, Rigoletto and Noli Me Tangere.

Floy Quintos must be momentarily in the throes of directing the production. Prof. Herminigildo Ranera must be busy doing his own thing as music director and conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. The UP Concert Chorus will also be featured and I hope it interprets the drinking song from Carmina Burana which work is also listed in the program.

Lucy Torres Gomez and Emma Estrada of Grupo Centro Flamenco will participate; modern designs of opera costumes by Maxie Cinco, Zenaida Gutierrez, Pepsi Herrera, Frederick Peralta, Eric Pineda, Raoul Ramirez and Edwin Tan will vye for attention with the singers.

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From Linda C. Gamboa, UP Sigma Delta Sorrority board chairman and president, comes these gladsome tidings: Margie Templo ‘93, producer of a short documentary film feature on digital output, was one of the finalists in the CineMalaya" competition for independent films. With Margie was also finalist Roselyn Perez ’83, daughter of Antique Governor Salvacion "Sally" Zaldivar Perez ’55. It was a real feat, there having been more than 400 entries.

Winnie C. Monsod is this year’s UP Most Distinguished Alumna; Chit Juan, UP Professional Awardee in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Overall director of the UPAA Reunion program and awarding ceremonies last June 25 was Ida Firme Vargas who directed the 70th Sorority Jubilee program last December 2003 together with Mila Alora. Ida also did the documentary on visual arts icon Purita Kalaw Ledesma along with Lena Lubi.

Linda Gamboa, Ligaya L. Tankeh and China Castillo represented the board at the UPAA reunion last Saturday. Each mentioned in the foregoing is a Sigma Deltan, and I am proud to be one.