'Tres bravissimos' go to 2 superb world choirs / Peñaverde in NY concert

CCP President Raul Sunico said that the concert “Dos Bravissimos” jointly featuring the UST Singers, twice “Choir of the World Champion”, and the Slovenia Choir, reputedly “the world’s most awarded”, was not a contest but a harmonious collaboration. UST Rector Rolando de la Rosa described the concert as a “fusion”.

The UST Singers under founder-professor Fidel Gener Calalang Jr. performed first. Its program consisted of one early song by Monteverdi (1507-1643); the rest of the numbers were contemporary and, therefore, predominantly atonal.

The choir conveyed its usual excellent discipline, cohesion and superb control of dynamics. It sang throughout without a score, thus fully focusing on the songs, their interpretation and expression. Various drums produced percussive effects. The voice of bass-baritone Noel P. Azcona soared.

A choral program being both auditory and visual, the singers were in attractive, glittering attire. Further, the songs were fused with choreographed movement which enhanced the auditory experience even more. For instance, for the rendition of Ruben Federizon’s “Gabaq-an”, the male singers were initially standing with their backs to the audience as the female singers danced their way in while creating percussive sounds with tiny finger bells. The choir kept forming eye-catching patterns, ending in a spectacular pose that sent the audience deliriously clapping. In fact, the conductor and singers were met with rousing applause each time they entered the stage, the din becoming truly deafening after each song.

One saw all shapes, sizes, colors — blonde, brunettes, even a redhead — in the visiting Slovenia Choir. Under conductor Sebastian Vrhovnik, it consisted of students from the University of Ljubljana, and was twice as large as the UST Singers. The larger the group, the harder for it to attain cohesion. But the first and the most obvious thing the listener noticed about the choir was its perfect, most astonishing cohesion, whether in the pianissimos, fortissimos, recitatives brief or extensive, slow or rapid. And like the UST Singers, it had superb control of dynamics. Percussive effects were occasionally provided by foot stamping and finger snapping.

The simply attired singers opened likewise with an early song by Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672), the rest of the numbers being predominantly contemporary and replete with dissonances. There were two “Ave Marias”, one by Grieg which had the female singers ascending the auditorium and intoning the last part of the prayer on each side of the theater’s center aisle.

After intermission, the UST Singers interpreted contemporary lyrical songs, with Rachelle Gerodias as the splendid soloist for Jose Estella’s “Ang Maya” (arr. by Calalang). Collaborating singers were Teresa Montes and Bruce Rivera for “El Bodeguero” by Richard Egues (arr. by Conrado Monier). Calalang provided the singers piano accompaniment twice.

In “Ragtime” by Stephen Flaherty, the choir went all out, singing and dancing with zest, vigor and robust spirit and, as usual, drawing thunderous clamor and cheers.

Singing a cappella and almost always with scores, the Slovenia Choir again showed its predilection for modern music; three folk songs featured soprano Ursa Setina, mezzo-soprano Petra Frece and alto Alma Kajdiz.

In “Plenty Good Room” by Kirby Shaw (1992) the rather conservative Slovenians sang while swaying in utter abandon, with Ulrika Segula, as soprano soloist and Miha Kovacec as tenor soloist. The finale “Vamos a la Playa” had a heavy Latin flavor to which the audience responded lustily. The choir was consistently met with rousing applause although not quite as rousing as what the local choir received.

At concert’s close, the UST Singers graciously gave roses to the Slovenia choir. The groups then rendered in close camaraderie two encores, the second being appropriately “Till We Meet Again” with Calalang on the piano. The title “Dos Bravissimos” was meant to be a “bravissimo” for each choir; the third “bravissimo”, for the joint choirs.

Rogelio Peñaverde NY concert

Filipino tenor Rogelio Peñaverde Jr., a prize winner in the 2009 Gerda Lissner Vocal Competition, has sung as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and as Tamino in “The Magic Flute” at the Kaye Playhouse, Hunter’s College, NY City.

Rogelio, who finished his Master’s in Voice at the Manhattan School of Music, has portrayed lead roles with the Bronx Opera Co. and the NY Lyric Opera Theater, among others. His concert appearances include tenor leads in Bizet’s “Te Deum”, Mozart’s “Missa Brevis”, Dubois’ “Christ’s Seven Last Words” and Haydn’s “Sancti Nicolai”.

The young tenor recently appeared in “Concert in Song”. Assisting artists were baritone Enrico Lagasa, soprano Lisa Villanueva, and pianist Cynthia Guerrero de Leon. They performed under the auspices of the Felipe P. de Leon Foundation. Rogelio interpreted arias, Broadway and Filipino songs.