Music floods UST

That length of flood-prone España in Manila was never exactly known to be a cultural hub. A nearby street, Nicanor Reyes, which used to be Morayta, came closer to being called a cultural area in the ‘50s since a lot of operas and theater productions that featured Daisy Avellana and Naty Crame-Rogers were staged at the auditorium of the Far Eastern University in those days.

I spent a great part of my college years at the University of Santo Tomas, but I was obviously never aware of its cultural scene. College wasn’t exactly a breeze for me, but I just swooped through it since I was in such a hurry to get employed  to the puzzlement of my parents, who never starved me (I was a favorite kid, in fact, since I am the youngest).

When I reached junior year, I spent less time in school and did more presswork in a magazine office that had absorbed me after my practicum. Maybe this was why I was one of the very few students from UST who never experienced wading through those notorious floods during the rainy season.

Looking back at the little campus life that I had, I recall that there was the dance troupe Salinggawi and the drama group Teatro Tomasino. I never joined those organizations. I never even tried out for the Varsitarian even if that was expected of a journ major.

The author with Dr. Vicki Belo, Edward Mendez and Rubby Sy

For a while, I did independent plays  only because Prof. Piedad Rosales heard me during recitation and she thought my voice would fill an entire auditorium even without a microphone. She was right. Even if I was a ham on stage, everyone looked up and listened, even the usually boisterous engineering students, because my voice boomed till the back row. I suspect now that as a kid I must have accidentally swallowed a megaphone.

The faculty also pushed me to get into Spanish declamation and I knew I was winning those prizes only because I was the only contestant who could hush down, yes, even the usually boisterous engineering students.

So there was culture, after all. Perhaps I just didn’t know what it was then. The architecture of the main building (the first earthquake proof structure in the country) is a wonder in itself. Built in 1927, that became a concentration camp for Americans and citizens of Allied countries who were trapped in the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation. It was mercifully spared during the liberation of Manila  although film superstar Rosario Moreno died in her house in a street nearby after a stray bullet hit her at the end of the war.

Last March, the group of UST alumnus Teddy Perena gave this writer the Gawad Adhika and I had the chance to visit the campus after so many years (decades even). But since that was a busy Saturday for me, I never had the chance to appreciate the changes within the campus.

A week ago, however, I was back in the Dominican campus for the UST Christmas Concert Gala. Now on its eighth year, this is actually a benefit show for the university’s heritage conservation  plus to pump in more funds to help UST Conservatory of Music scholars.

Dr. Vicki Belo, who donated once more a substantial amount (she doesn’t want the figures disclosed), was supposed to be my date, but she was considerate enough to have agreed for us to meet in UST since we were both coming from opposite directions.

Irene Marcos-Araneta and Fr. Isidro Abano – Photos by NELSON GAPAC

The concert venue  the UST chapel  is no strange territory to me. In my last year in college, I had classes in another school, but would commute to UST for one subject every Saturday afternoon. At 6 p.m. I would walk to the chapel to attend the anticipated Mass.

It’s still the same lovely structure, except that it is air-conditioned now (maybe it was during my time, but they never turned it on for me). Prof. Giovanna Fontanilla met me at the entrance. I was later ushered to a front row seat – in time for me to listen to the opening remarks of UST rector, Fr. Rolando dela Rosa, followed by Fr. Isidro Abano, concert co-chair. Another speaker was Ms. Ma. Cristina Zobel, who was also a moving force behind the very successful affair.

Before the concert proper, Vicki finally walked in with daughter Cristalle Henares and Jojie Dingcong (Belo officials Leah Salterio and Madz Alegado had arrived earlier) and we enjoyed what would turn out to be a great musical evening.

In quick succession came the performances of the UST Brass Ensemble, the UST Symphony Orchestra with Herminigildo Ranera conducting, the Coro Tomasino with conductor Ronan Ferrer, harpists Lourdes Gregorio and Christian Caragayan, Lemuel dela Cruz with the Liturgikon Voice Ensemble, Mylah Ann Rubio, Rachel Gerodias, the UST Singers under conductor Fidel Calalang and Jose Maria Rubio.

There was also the wonderful blending of the fine voices of Nenen Espina, Eugene de los Santos, Thea Perez, Ronan Ferrer, Naomi Sison and Randy Gilongo. However, I’d like to single out the Nutcracker Suite rendition on the piano by Raul Sunico. Listening to him play was an orgasmic experience, although orgasmic is one word I probably shouldn’t use because the Dominican priests could be reading this piece right this moment.

Antonio Africa’s Pasko sa UST song was new to me, but I’m glad I discovered it even long after I’ve left school.

After the show, I had the chance to look around me and saw for myself the well-heeled crowd in attendance. It was like Makati had moved to España that night. Behind me sat Marissa Araneta, who said that Tats Manahan was also there somewhere. Margie Moran came over to say hello to Vicki and from another side I saw Flawless lady boss Rubby Sy, escorted by new endorser Edward Mendez. Then there was also stage actor Marco Mañalac with manager John Carlo Espino.

In one area of the seminary was the reception, except that it was packed with so many people  Makati’s elite  who all gushed over the remarkable show that was directed by Alex Cortez and written by Floy Quintos.

The UST Christmas Concert Gala may only be a few years old, but it is a great tradition worth continuing. UST turns 400 in 2011 and its heritage should be preserved (already lost was the Intramuros campus that was destroyed during the liberation of Manila). Turning the España campus into a cultural arena isn’t at all a bad idea. Give them a good show (like this last one) and even the Makati crowd will come.

Let España flood  not with the waters of the monsoon season  but with the best musical talents of this generation.