By Antonio C. Hila
Philippine Daily InquirerOctober 11, 2010
The Choir of the World held an epic performance at the CCP that was bound to be the choral event of 2010
ALL ROADS LED to the Cultural Center of the Philippines for the thanksgiving concert of the UST Singers last Sept. 19.
At the lobby, people who came in droves were greeted by an imposing display of the trophies the choir had recently won during their European tour in which it participated in six prestigious international choral tilts from April to July.
All seats at the Main Theater were taken. Many more wanted to watch, but no more tickets!
The choir has brought home some 20 top prizes, including 11 First Prizes; a Peace trophy (Public Prize); two Grand Prizes; and the most coveted Choir of the World Award at the 63rd Llangolen International Musical Esitedfod, participated in by 40 choral groups from around the world.
The last was a repeat of the same feat the choir had achieved in 1995, when it first bagged the title barely three years after its founding by Fidel Gener Calalang Jr.
Such a triumph had become a byword, so that no less than the House of Representatives had to acknowledge it by passing House Resolution No. 7, authored by Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo, which formally congratulated the 28-member choir for giving pride to the nation.
The UST Singers deserves a better accolade than such congratulatory note. The state can give its due recognition by making it a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
To date, the UST Singers is the only Philippine and Asian choir to have won the Choir of the World title twice!
Since 1992, the choir has made 18 concert tours and bagged a total of 65 top prizes from prestigious international choral tilts in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom apart from concertizing in Asia, Canada the United States and Latin American countries.
In his brief opening remarks, UST Rector Magnifcus, the Rev. Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, OP, said the UST Singers had become the country’s ambassadors of goodwill, “at no expense to our government.” The choir, he said, had capably boosted the country’s image abroad.
Truly, music is a national gem, aptly expressed in choral singing. Father De la Rosa said the recognition was not just true with the UST Singers but to other school choirs as well that had ably projected the musical genius of the Filipino abroad such as the UP Madrigal Singers, UE Choral, DLSU Chorale, UP Singing Ambassadors, the UP Concert Chorus.
In welcoming the audience, Raul Sunico, CCP president and dean of the UST Conservatory of Music, said he too was an avid fan of the UST Singers, and the CCP was proud to host the choir’s homecoming concert.
Winning form
The choir displayed its winning form in an epic performance that lasted for over two hours. The concert was bound to be this year’s choral event!
The choir showcased its global feat through its flawless rendition of traditional, folk, ethnic, Broadway and novelty pieces—all scored demandingly.
Indeed, the UST Singiers underscored its formidable capability to interpret varied choral genres requiring difficult and varied choral range and coloring only a true choral virtuoso could do.
Among some of the world’ finest contemporary works the choir rendered and which formed part of its repertoire in the competitions it had joined in, were masterpieces by Eudenice Palaruan (“Gapas”) and Ruben Federizon’s (“Gabaq-an”). They were lined up with the works of choral giants such as Claudio Monteverdi, Morten Lauridsen. Eric Whitacre, Jonas Tamulionis and Ricardo Aguado.
“Gapas” won the Lady Dorothy Mayer Memorial Trophy for a 20th-century piece at the 58th Cork International Choral Festival.
“Gabaq-an” won the First prize at the Mixed Category which qualified the choir to vie for the Choir of the World Award and defeated its other strong competitor, the CYAIR Choir from Wales, which won the title in 2005, a decade since the singers bagged the award.
“Gabaq-an” also won the First Prize, Mixed Choir Category, at the 28th Festival Internacional de Musica de Cantonigros in Spain, where the singers defeated the APZ TONE TOMSIC from Slovenia, a two-time European Grand Prix winner which placed second.
Austere yet handsome
Austere yet handsome choreography and lighting heightened their singing. The gestures the members themselves choreographed were minimal yet meaningful. They provided attractive visual dimension which enhanced comprehension of the meaning of the songs.
In resplendent gala attire, the UST Singers cut a regal presence on stage and smartly moved elegantly with dashing confidence, disclosing the stance of a real champion.
Truly, there was “unending grace” in their rendition. In the sacred portion, they intoned “unending praise” to the Almighty, making the concert more of a thanksgiving than just a plain homecoming performance.
Utmost sincerity and humility underscored Calalang’s short message thanking all persons who made their travel possible: Father. De La Rosa and the UST community; the choir members’ families and the choir’s benefactors—above all, God. “To God be the glory,” Prof. Calalang emphatically said.
He informed the audience their trip was fraught with trials and difficulties—at one point they thought of giving up.
But “God is good,” he said. “We emerged steadfast and focused” and “triumphed in the end.”
The audience was hushed into a prayerful silence as the choir intoned John Rutter’s simple yet touching thanksgiving hymn, “Look at the World.”
Visibly, many choristers were in tears, as were some of the listeners, among them soprano Irma Potenciano, who exclaimed, “Fidel had made me unabashedly cry!”
Victory in Wales
Off stage, in a casual conversation with the choir’s founding conductor, a couple of days after the performance at UST, Fidel said he hesitated to join the Llangolen International Festival because of the psychological burden of duplicating the feat the choir had done before. Besides, it had been some years since he bagged the award.
His brother, Firmaldo, whom he consulted whether the choir should join or not, prodded: “Just to do your best, and be nonchalant about it if you lose.”
To contend for the award, the choir had to win a First Prize in either one of the two categories: Chamber Choir or Mixed Choir. They bagged the Third Prize in the former category. DLSU Chorale conducted by Rodolfo “Boy” Delarmente, got the Second Prize. The First went to the choir from Wales.
The UST Singers bagged the First Prize in the Youth Category, but such a win was not a passport to enter the competition for the global award, as the category was just an added attraction.
Undaunted, the choir joined the Mixed Choir Category, and made a resolve to win the top prize. They won.
Next, they had to compete against the winner of the other category, the feared choir from Wales. The rest was history.
Asked how he became a choral conductor, Calalang said it was all by accident.
He was a late bloomer. He enroled at the UST Conservatory of Music, in Piano, and earned his diploma. He was intending to have Voice as his double major, but did not finish it. He assisted several choirs, sang tenor for George Hernandez’s UP Saringhimig which did a lot of concert tour abroad.
Soon he found himself organizing the UST Singers. Since then, choral conducting has become his burning passion.
He felt the Almighty had wanted him to be so, to touch the hearts of his listeners, and provide a balm to the tired spirit through the moving power of music.
56. Certamen Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonia de Torrevieja (Spain) July 23-30
The first choir in the history of Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod, the oldest choral competition, to ever win the title twice. 
