|
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Yap: Choir
By Januar E. Yap
Meanwhile
It was a pretty wild lot, a bunch of foreign affairs officers from different countries on a Bohol Island sojourn. Confined most of the time in official functions, they found it a most welcome escapade, a weekend to let their hair down in this Visayan Island.
Among nature’s wonders they saw were how the tarsier could turn its head three hundred sixty degrees and how one proverbial giant with a severe case of diarrhea left what is now called the Chocolate Hills. But all the day’s fun led to a curious portion in the itinerary. Registered as “surprise number,” it was to take place right inside the church in the inland town of Loboc.
So by the end of the day, the group found itself in the quiet church hall, on the front pews with a good view of the retable. While everyone was settling in, walked in about twenty or so children on the altar platform. As if cued by God himself, faint immaculate voices began to creep in the church air. They were voices that threw you back into some remote, long forgotten home, when you were innocent, guiltless, reckless, have known neither grief nor spite. The little kids were singing Gustav Holst’s “Ave Maria.” No, I’ll take that back. They were not singing, they were an entire life’s memory speaking to you in its own language.
I saw the Italian diplomat break into tears, the French official blowing his nose with what already looked like a severely damp hanky. The Australian, mouth agape, could only say, “Is it real, mate?” “Bloody real!” whispers the English lady.
There was no applause at the end of the performance. Just silence, the kind that emerges perhaps when time stands still or when a black cat pauses on the hallway to look back at you.
That was the Loboc Chilren’s Choir (LCC) a few years ago, and it already had a string of victories in national competitions. In no time since then, their voices provided score to Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Muro-ami and perhaps rolled off into other less conspicuous engagements. The talents came from the grade school in small town Loboc in Bohol Province.
The LCC won in the prestigious Europe and its Songs 6th International Folk Song Choir Festival held last September. It bested other children’s choir from all over Europe, in countries Finland, Sweden, Italy.
Just thought you might want to know.
(October 7, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
