Idealism helps produce ‘A Million Mornings’ / I. R. Cruz launches book

The "Light a Million Mornings" concert at the CCP main theater owed its success to idealism. To begin with, there were Fr. Marciano "Rocky" Evangelista’s Tuloy Foundation and his countless patrons whose help benefitted 305 orphaned and abandoned street children through a music performance.

According to Fr. Evangelista, however, "Several thousands of marginalized children still need to be saved from becoming a burden to society or becoming downright criminals."

Then there was the outstanding violinist Alfonso "Coke" Bolipata turning the members of the Pundaquit Virtuosi – sons of farmers and fishermen – into fine violinists through sheer courage, determination and energy. "Coke" does not balk from calling them "virtuosi" because, in a real sense, they are!

"Coke" has played in such prestigious places as Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York, and in Washington’s Kennedy Center, and given concerts throughout the US and Canada, in Munich, Frankfurt, Paris, and in major cities of Japan and Indonesia.

Yet, the idealistic "Coke" gave up an international concert career for his noble mission, choosing to transfer the knowledge and technique he had learned from such top-notch mentors as Dorothy Delay (who never accepts mediocre students), Jascha Brody and Felix Galimir, to children of farmers and fishermen who themselves are now humming passages from Beethoven, Bach and Schumann sonatas!

Further, "Coke", who comes from the landed gentry, has elected to convert the land of his grandfather – the brilliant violinist Ramon Corpuz – into the site for Casa San Miguel, now the center of music and the visual arts in Zambales and the outlying regions including Pampanga, through his initiative, unflagging vitality and dynamic administrative skill.

Coke’s incredible mission has extended to the formation of the Metro Manila Community Orchestra and the Symphony of the Sea Orchestra composed of gifted students from Casa San Miguel and musician employes of SBMA who are police enforcers, firemen and engineers.

(Perhaps "Coke" should establish a center for certain politicians so these can turn their mindless chatter, ambitious skull-duggery and hoodwinkery into "heavenly" music-making.)

As for the Loboc Children’s Choir from Bohol, which has received national and international awards, and shared the concert spotlight, there, too, was much idealism in its formation. Founded in 1980, the choir has always had Alma Fernand Taldo as its conductor and Baby Lina Jala as its piano accompanist. Both are school teachers, with the former receiving scant formal training in music yet garnering honors for the choir. Lutgardo "Gardy" Labad, distinguished theater director and award-winning composer, is the LCC’s music director.

The concert might be likened to a musical variety show.

The Loboc Children’s Choir, many of whose members are now adolescents, gave spirited interpretations of religious, folk (Tagalog and Visayan) and children’s songs and "The Sound of Music" Medley. The Tuloy children joined the LCC in Kalesa by Ernani Cuenco to the lyrics of Levi Celerio, against the spectacular lighting effects of Shari Villa which enhanced choreographed movement by Andy Alviz. Song and orchestra arrangements were by Danny Favis; over-all director was Leo Rialp.

Cris Villonco, a talented actress, moved the audience with her heart-tugging appeal to help turn young vagrants into useful citizens by donating to the Tuloy Foundation. Cris also sang with the chorus and the Pundaquit Virtuosi as soloist in the finale "Light a Million Mornings" by Mark Germehi and Mark Hayes.

Earlier, the LCC, assisted by the Pundaquit Virtuosi, rendered Habang May Buhay, Batang Bata by Jim Paredes, and Ikaw by Louie Ocampo and George Canseco. With the Tuloy Children, the LCC then sang Handel’s Alleluia with rousing voices.

The high point was doubtless the performance of violinists Coke Bolipata, Julian Quirit and his daughter Eliza.

For the last 23 years, Quirit has been concert master and resident conductor of the Australian Philharmonic and Pops Orchestra. Australia’s youth orchestra is named the Quirit Orchestra.

Despite his hectic schedule, Quirit organized the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming its first music director and principal conductor. Last year, he conducted in Vienna, Austria, waving the baton over the 180-member Kalgenfurt Symphony and Choral at the Kultur Stadht Festival before an audience of 17,600.

Quirit’s petite daughter Eliza, winner of 14 gold medals in various Australian competitions, is closely following in her father’s footsteps.

With glowing, burnished tones, Bolipata played Sa Kabukiran by Manuel Velez and Abelardo’s Cavatina, with both pieces arranged by him for the Pundaquit Virtuosi whose young violinists, displaying considerable vitality, then rendered Carl Bohm’s Moto Perpetuo.

Eliza Quirit demonstrated flawless technique in Massenet’s Meditation from his opera Thais; Julian and Coke electrified the audience with their bristling Allegro from Bach’s Double Concerto, and the three violinists reached a tremendous climax in the Presto from Vivaldi’s Summer Concerto.

The overwhelming group achievement earned a standing ovation.

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"The Lovely Bienvenido N. Santos" by the eminent, multi-awarded dramatist, essayist and literary professor Isagani R. Cruz was launched yesterday by the DLSU Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center and the UP Press at the De La Salle U.