A mass in glorious song /UST Christmas gala concert

Four leading classic vocalists — tenor Arthur Espiritu, sopranos Margarita Gomez Giannelli and Camille Lopez-Molina and baritone Noel Azcona — were featured in Rossini’s Messe Solennelle at the Ayala Museum. Assuming a sacred and solemn air, the mass generated excitement with their glorious singing.

The audience held its breath at Espiritu’s rendition of Domine Deus, his nuances subtly expressive, his prodigious technique stirringly spanning his wide range with full-throated ease and soaring volume.

Margarita’s luminous, crystalline voice, fascinating tonal colors, puissant feeling conveyed by exquisite legatos, and amazing fortissimos — all these were made even more enchanting by her beauty in Crucifixus.

Poised and assured, Camille, taking the contralto part, demonstrated her usual impressive power in O Salutaris and Agnus Dei sung with dramatic intensity.

Noel triumphed with his booming resonant voice filling the entire venue, his wide register admirably scaling the score up and down in Quoniam. Towering climaxes were reached  when Margarita and Camille joined forces in Qui Tollis, and when all four, the chorus, rendered Laudamus Te with cumulative force.

The Viva Voce choir directed by Gideon Bendicion  evoked the uplifting sentiment proper to each part of the mass interpreted  — with or without the soloists. However, although its singing was cohesive, it was not as full or vigorous as  might have been expected.

Collaborating pianists Najib Ismail and Farley Asuncion were excellent, playing together or separately  a most challenging score. Rapport was flawless in every note as the two reflected the distinctive reverential or joyous mood required.

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Rector Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy OP and Fr. Isidro G. Abaño OP presented the UST Christmas Gala concert with a combination of professional alumni and students which offered varying degrees of excellence and competence.

Excellent ensembles were the UST Singers directed by Fidel G. Calalang, Jr., and the Hail Mary the Queen Children’s Choir conducted by Maria Theresa V. Roldan, flutists Erick Barcelo and Gary Silangcruz, bassoon player and harpist Lourdes de Leon Gregorio in Vivaldi’s Concerto in C, first movement; the singer David Cruz in O Holy Night, and not the least, the UST Symphony Orchestra under Herminigildo Ranera.

Highly competent were tenor Christian Nagaño, sopranos Micah David Galang,  Ma. Pilar Charlene Ramos, Frances Alyanna Leoncito and Leo Angela Lanuza, The Coro Tomasino under Ronan Ferrer and the Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble directed by Eugene E. de los Santos.

Under Calalang, The UST Singers, winner of the “Choir of the World” international grand prize in Wales, achieved a feat, a tour de force in Rossini’s a cappella Barber of Seville Overture (arranged by J. Rathbone and A. Bruckner), Ennio Morricone’s Ave Maria with Calalang on the piano, and the unaccompanied Vocalises on Morricone (arranged by Calalang) with Ma. Pilar Charlene Ramos as soloist.

The mixed choir enraptured listeners with its brilliant, incredible dynamics, alternately thunderous in the fortissimos, whispered in the pianissimos, its exquisite phrasing varying from lyrical to dramatic, both invested with rich tonal hues.

The Children’s Mixed Choir was totally charming and endearing. Roldan drew from the colorfully costumed youngsters vibrant sounds enhanced by unified, lively propulsive hand gestures, bodies swaying, in D. Forrester’s The First Noel, B. Britten’s The Little Babe and J. Rutter’s Angels’ Carol.

Vivaldi’s classic work complemented Haydn’s Recitative for Chorus and Soloists, among them baritone Jibert Chua.

Showbiz personality Dulce stood or walked in dignified, arresting fashion in J. Peterson’s Night of Miracles (A Christmas Cantata).

Ranera’s enlivening arrangement of the popular Beatles Christmas Tunes Medley was sung by the soloists and the two choirs, assisted by the orchestra, with Handel’s Hallelujah providing a tremendous climax by the cast of hundreds.

Dean Raul Sunico welcomed the guests headed by Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq, Don Jaime and Bea Zobel de Ayala, celebrated sculptor Ramon and Lay-Ann Orlina.