‘Honest Abe’/Concerts in Las Piñas

At the private viewing of the film “Lincoln” in the US embassy residence, I told the host, US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr., “I admire Lincoln almost as much as I do our national hero Jose Rizal.”

As a very young girl, I was already reading books on Lincoln. “Honest Abe” and “From a Log Cabin to the White House” became familiar terms to me. Law student Lincoln was so poor, he would borrow books or money to buy them, unfailingly returning or paying back what had been loaned. Early in life, the death of  his sweetheart Ann Rutledge devastated him; he grieved for a long time over the tragic loss.

He was six feet, four inches tall and seemingly proud of his height. As president, it startled him to see someone as tall or nearly as tall as he; he would then ask the visitor to stand beside him to determine who was taller.

Although self-educated, he was so widely-read and acquired such an incredible proficiency in the language that he wrote, or rather, dashed off the Gettysburg Address on his way to the battlefield where he was to deliver it. Since then, the speech has become a world classic and we high school students were required to memorize it! I can still remember most of the address, and certainly the line “All men are created equal”, now a universal principle.

To turn to the film “Lincoln” which Steven Spielberg directed. Daniel Day-Lewis ceases to be the actor, totally transformed as he is into Lincoln. Further, the uncanny physical resemblance of Lewis to Lincoln adds an unbelievable dimension of reality to the portrayal. The similarity of Sally Field to the photos of Mary Todd, Lincoln’s wife, is likewise close.

Highly political, the film depicts Lincoln as president confronted with the urgent emancipation issue while a civil war rages. What boggles my mind, what challenges my credulity is how Lincoln, who grew up in abject poverty, who lost his mother when he was only nine, who struggled against adversity throughout his adult life, who met defeat after defeat in countless electoral campaigns, could persist in aspiring for the highest office and attain it through an indomitable determination, an iron will which controlled a brilliant mind.

The odds Lincoln faced were daunting, tremendous, as he went against the overwhelming sentiment of the people.

The rest is history, it might be said. Because of the Great Emancipator, Barack Obama is chief occupant of the White House. Oprah Winfrey is an icon.

The late Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were adored as entertainment icons. So is Stevie Wonder. Joe Louis had the distinct honor of carrying the Olympic torch. The legendary contralto Marian Anderson sang at the Met. Not the least, we have the great fortune of having the personable Mr. Thomas as the US ambassador.

Lincoln changed the face not only of America but also that of the whole world. For this reason, he has gained millions of admirers. Some were present at the film show, among them my lovely colleague Joanne Rae Ramirez who has written an excellent review of the movie, Rina Jimenez David, Glenn Gale, Evelyn R. Garcia, movie director Laurice Guillen, CCP president Raul Sunico, my long-time friend Leslie Ann Murray and Dennis Youngblood, a close friend of Ambassador Thomas.

How many of our senators and congressmen are admirers of Lincoln? They can draw valuable lessons from the film: US Congress has always had only two political parties: the Democrat and the Republican. After the era of Quezon and Osmeña, it has become difficult to determine the number of our ever-evolving political parties and their members who keep shifting loyalties. US Congress debates can be heated but objective; in ours they can be absurdly personal and irrelevant.

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As announced by Leo Renier, the 38th Bamboo Organ Festival opened Feb. 21 in Las Piñas’ St. Joseph Church and will end Feb. 27. Concerts start at 8 p.m.

Tonight’s concert to be devoted to less serious musical flare, will feature singer Jamie Rivera. The front act will be provided by Ryan Cayabyab’s 14 K, Trinna Alcantara and Deep Projek, a newly formed band headed by Gerald “Jek” Manuel.

On Sunday, guest organist will be Belgian Peter Van de Velde who performs regularly all over Europe. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, frequent Festival organist, the Austrian Dr. Johann Trummer, and our own Armando Salarza will play singly and with the MSO in works by Cabanilles, Correa de Arauxo, Bach and Mozart.

The concert on Wednesday, Feb. 27, will be a repeat of the gala opening one. The first part will feature late Renaissance music; the second, Spanish Baroque. To perform are the Las Piñas Boys’ Choir, the UP Education Chorale, sopranos Sherla Najera and Stefanie Quintin; Ily Mathew Maniano, counter tenor; tenors Ervin Lumauag and Joel Aquino, baritone Mark Abesia; organists Van de Velde and Salarza with the MSO under Eudenice Palaruan.

N.B. in my last review, the tyranny of the deadline led to Nessun Norda instead of Nessun Dorma (None shall sleep).