MANILA, Philippines - “The Glorious Sound of Christmas” unfolds at the Mandarin Oriental (MO) Lobby Lounge (the re-branded Captain’s Bar), with a 20-foot fir tree as a majestic background, on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in a concert by the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra (MMCO) conducted by Josefino Chino Toledo.
The by-invitation Christmas concert features 50 musicians with ages ranging from 18 to 50 years old. Performing under the baton of music director and conductor Toledo, the MMCO will regale the audience with classic tunes such as Christmas Around the World, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, A Most Wonderful Christmas, to name some; and even some whimsical ones such as Kumukutikutitap, Cartoon Music Medley and Beatlemania, to name a few.
At the MO Lobby Lounge, which in the past many years hosted popular concerts by top Filipino artists when it was known as the Captain’s Bar, the MMCO’s performance is in keeping with its vision to expand the range of entertainment and artists’ development outside the doors of the conservatory and academe.
“What is Christmas if not also a time for beautiful music, the universal language of sharing the joys of the season,” remarks Mark Bradford, general manager of Mandarin Oriental Manila,
“In keeping with the spirit of gift-giving, we will also welcome from our guests donations to Child Protection Network Foundation, Inc, so together we can contribute towards the well-being of abused and marginalized children”, he adds. The CPNF is committed to setting up Child Protection Units in hospitals to diagnose, refer and treat children suffering from sexual, physical and emotional abuse in their homes. To date, 34 CPUs in hospitals across 22 provinces nationwide have been established.