CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas Chorale is proud to have five of its members finally finished with college through their full choir scholarship.
They are Sherwin Sulla (Education), Sandy Belle Caballero (Hotel Restaurant and Management), Lagmar Lavistre (Business Management) and James Lepon and Jarius Baguio, who both took up Information Technology.
According to Caballero, she really joined the choir for the scholarship. In the end, this soprano got more than she asked for. She said the choir gave them priceless experiences that not many young people their age have been fortunate to have. These include the performance opportunities before foreign crowds and VIPs which she said gave her self-confidence not just in her singing, but also in interacting with different people.
Confidence is also something that Lepon–one of the group’s more recognizable soloists who was so shy before that he flunked his first audition–learned. The performance that he will always cherish in many years to come is when they sang during World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia last year. They were the only Filipino performing group to do so. Lepon said that he may not be Roman Catholic, but the global event held so much meaning for him. “I felt really blessed because among the many talented young people in the world, kami ang gipa-kanta sa World Youth Day.” With kababayans cheering them on and congratulating them, it was not hard to realize that the choir was no longer just bringing the name of the university, but of Cebu and the Philippines as well.
Indeed, members of the UV Chorale are rife with stories about how being part of the choir has changed their personalities and perspectives for the better. For some of them, life before the chorale included nearly joining gangs, having physical insecurities, and even–young as they are–eking out a living by participating in sundry amateur singing contests or rock band competitions. But through the choir, they said they have now enjoyed a full and holistic student life.
They shared that it’s far from easy to do schooling at the same time keep up with the rigors of choir membership. Everyday, they spend at least three hours for practice even without the watchful eye of their Manila-based choirmaster, Anna Tabita Pequero. They have regular exams and recitals to check on their progress, at the same time their grades are regularly checked.
But nobody’s complaining. Sulla, who is the choir president and who has been with the choir the longest since he started in high school, said he’s thankful to the choir for introducing them to higher levels of music, instilling in them values such as professionalism and discipline which he believes are their best tools as they enter the real working world, and more importantly, giving them a family. “We’re really proud to be part of the chorale.”
The UV Chorale was formed in 1999 by Dr. Jose R. Gullas, UV executive vice-president and The Freeman chairman, to continue the tradition of his mother of providing scholarship opportunities to musically-talented young people. His wife Nena presently serves as the choir manager.
Both proponents admitted to investing so much in making sure that these students achieve a certain level of musical competence that is somehow reflective of students schooled in a music conservatory, which is non-existent in Cebu. True enough, from a scrappy bunch of very raw talents who never had formal music lessons let alone exposure to classical music, they can now deftly read notes and interpret arias, sacred music and songs in different languages. One of the graduates, Jarius, was also sent to Manila to undergo conducting workshops to be able to assist in the training when their choirmaster is not around.
All of their songs are special arrangements so as to ensure a definitive sound for the choir, and the cost for such is no joke. Their training is first-rate as they’re under the direction of Pequero, who is an established and multi-awarded choirmaster and former member of the Philippine Madrigal Singers.
Add to that are the activities to further broaden their choir experience. After earning silver and bronze awards at their first international choral competition in Busan, Korea in 2007, Mrs. Nena Gullas said the choir is set to join another international tilt in Manila this August and is looking to participate in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing on 2010.
Dr. Jose Gullas said of the chorale, which is celebrating its 10th year this 2009, “People ask me why I took the effort, expense and challenge of reviving and sustaining the choir. Perhaps it’s because I just want to continue what my mother has started, giving these young talented people a means to a better education.”