Spellbound!
Spellbound! This was what happened to me while watching recently the UV Chorale perform during its concert dubbed "Journey of Songs to the World". The songs, both classical and of the old favorite vintage, were so professionally rendered that one could not help but fix his senses to the sound and scenes before him.
Right at the opening oratorio, "Exultate iusti in Domino" (A. Hakenberger) one's attention immediately got glued to the performers elegantly poised in a semi-circle from out of whom issued a clear clean band of voices small and hushed at first then slowly rising in crescendo and merging into one solid reverberation reminiscent of organ music. The Latin lyric was Greek to me and probably to most of the audience, but who cares for meaning in the throes of a spiritual moment? For that was what we felt: A kind of upliftment into something beyond sense experience, something sobering and sublime which made the self no longer aware of itself and reality.
Such spiritual moments had its peak in "Child's Prayer" (A. Consolacion) and "Maghimaya Ka Maria" (J. Pamintuan), especially so because some portions of these were rendered by female soloists whose tender voices touched the heart like long lost songs one used to hear in his catechism days.
In contrast, the mood in "Gloria Kenya" (by P. Basler) broke into a spirited exultation in praise of the divine and the eternal imparting into one's sensibility a sense of joy and thanksgiving. The "Lihok nga Way Kahangtudan" (by J. Nilo) was also sung con brio. It was like an explosion of a mass mind driven into fury by mass anger, the whole piece made more scintillating by the staccato of male voices, now subdued, now deafening like a thunder in the night.
The Korean folk song, "Arirang" and "Balaygi" were more for the eyes than the ears although musicality was still the dominant appeal. Performed with rhythmic movements made more eye-catching with native warriors' props, the song served to spice the presentation with something less high-brow and more ethnically oriented.
Like the folk songs, the Cebuano pieces, "Kinhason", "Usahay", and a medley of traditional tunes gave local color to the repertoire. Familiar as the songs were audience response was one of gratification and delight. Gratification because what was heard was nearest to their hearts; delight because what seemed ordinary was made pleasing by the combination of solo and choral rendition both of which were emotionally executed.
With these performed the finale came. Then after what seemed a moment of breathlessness the audience suddenly found themselves back to reality. And as though with one mind they broke into a deafening applause. Several seconds slipped by and still the applause droned on and on and soon everybody was on his feet in a gesture of ovation. . . .
And recognition. The recipients of course included also UV executive vice president Jose R. Gullas and wife Nena. For the Chorale was their handiwork. Aided by a choir master from
"It is as if there's a lump in my throat as I think of your generous response to my appeal", Dr. Jose Gullas told the audience during his opening remarks. After the performance that feeling must have been felt again by him and Nena, but this time it was probably intermixed with fulfillment and joy.
That concert was said to be a thanksgiving for people who are financially helping the Chorale in its trip to
Will the Chorale's performance in
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