Music by Starlight / Books and roses at IC

To broaden audiences for classic music and to promote local artists, the Music Admiration Society will present "Music by Starlight", a night of favorite operatic arias and popular Broadway songs, on March 23 at the Kasalikasan (Fort Bonifacio) at 7 p.m.

To be featured are Nolyn Cabahug, one of our best tenors, up-and-coming soprano Joanna Go, highly admired Rep stars Menchu Lauchengco and Audie Gemora. Bernie Pasamba will conduct the orchestra.

The program opens with an overture-medley of Puccini arias, to be followed by "It’s a Grand Night for Singing" by the vocal ensemble. Libiamo, the spirited drinking song from Verdi’s Traviata, will be sung by Nolyn and Joanna; forthwith, Nolyn will interpret Caruso’s favorite, Core ‘ngrato (Ungrateful Heart) by S. Cardillo, Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot and Recondita Armonia from Tosca.

Joanna was especially requested to sing "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak’s Russelka, and listeners should pray the moon will shine that night! For Quando Me’n Vo, she will be Musetta in Puccini’s La Boheme. Nolyn and Audie will alternately court Joanna, Audie with "Yours Is My Heart Alone" from Lehar’s "Land of Smiles", while Nolyn sings the German version. Nolyn and Joanna will interpret the beautifully tragic O Soave Fanciulla from Puccini’s La Boheme.

Nolyn may be prodded to sing, as an encore, E Lucevan le Stelle, Cavardossi’s aria from Puccini’s Tosca.

Broadway aficionados will watch Menchu and Audie bring the house down in Broadway solos and duets.

Music Admiration Society officers are Evelyn Singson, George Yang, Charlie Rufino, Gigi Zulueta, Boots Garcia, Josie Tan and chair Eduardo H. Yap, cognoscenti, who has described the program above.

Drinks and finger food will be on sale before show time. The concert is sponsored by the NET group for the Rufino and Dupasquier families to mark the groundbreaking of the fourth IT building.

Affordable tickets are available at the gate. Call Maggie, 6374262.

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The personable Instituto Cervantes Deputy for Cultural Affairs Jose Ma. Fons announces that on April 21, IC will join all international celebrations of World Book Day with its own cultural events to which the public will be invited.

The International Book Day is regarded significant by several European countries, and IC aims to establish April 21, in its own manner, as the traditional World Book Day. Every April 23 is meant to promote reading, publishing and protection of intellectual property through copyright. The idea originated in Spain where men and women each traditionally exchange a book and a rose.

Supported by 20 other countries, a Spanish delegation proposed to the UNESCO the proclamation of April 23 of each year as World Day of the Book. Unanimously adopted in November of 1995 and celebrated ever since, April 23 symbolically coincides with the day Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca de la Vega died, and with the date of birth or death of eminent authors Maurice Druon, Halldor Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.

IC will hold an Open House on April 21 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. with jazz shows, an electronic music concert by Drip, film shows, a Spanish food fair, La Mancha wine and food tasting, free salsa and Latin dance classes, photo and declamation contests.

At a token price, IC will offer 4,000 brand new books, Anvil, UST and other publishing houses and bookstores will give a 20% discount. Each buyer will be gifted with a rose following Spanish tradition. Guided tours and a free Spanish class for beginners will be offered. Students enrolling on this day will have a 20% discount, valid for certain schedules and on full payment.

Special movies with literary masterpieces as themes will start at 2 p.m. Children’s movies will be at 11 a.m., 2 and 6 p.m. A marathon Karaoke in Spanish will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A fun party with a Latin band, a jazz concert and Spanish food tops the event.