Philippine Madrigal Singers Homecoming Concerts

August 28 and 29, 2009
Homecoming Concert and Launching of "Love Continues", the Madz' latest album under Sony Music Philippines.
CCP MAIN THEATER, 800pm

Tickets: (thru CCP, Ticketworld or Ms Abella 09178824400):
OC 2,000; OS 1,500; B1C 1,000; B1S 700; B2C 500; B2S 300

University of Visayas Chorale shines in National Choral Competition

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s pride, the University of the Visayas Chorale, won top awards at the first-ever Cultural Center of the Philippines National Choral Competition held last August 18 to 22.

From among 22 contenders, the UV Chorale emerged as one of only two groups that bagged three gold certificates from all the categories they were entered—Mixed Voice, Musica Sacra and Folk.

The other choir was Imusicapella, a seasoned choir made of professionals from Imus, Cavite. Gold certificates were awarded to choirs that accumulated the highest marks (or a total of 85-100 points) from the board of judges.

For the Folk category, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology’s Octava Choral Society, Tarlac State University Choir and Himig Sanghaya Chorale also got gold certificates.

Apart from the certificates, the winners also received cash prizes.

“For us, the CCP contest was as tough as the international competitions we had, because we all know that Filipino choirs are the best in the world,” said choir member Sherwin Sulla.

For their big win, the UV Chorale and Imusicapella were given the center stage at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) on awards night last Saturday for a grand closing concert.

UVC choir director Anna Piquero, for her part, said that more than just the awards, their successful participation in the CCP competition goes to show that “we somehow achieved our goal in making the UVC’s presence felt in the national choral scene.”

The Manila-based choirmaster and former Philippine Madrigal singer enthused that “if there was a prize that came from the public, the UVC would have probably won it.”

Piquero added, “You should have seen the way the audience gathered around them every after their performance. And the composers fell in love with them. Halos lahat ng nag-describe sa kanila sinasabi ay ‘elegant,’ magaling ang programming at entertaining. Cebuanos really have that inimitable charm as performers.”

Award-winning Cebuano conductor Dennis Gregory Sugarol of the Mandaue Children’s Choir also said, “[It was] truly a great experience listening to the group… proud to be Cebuano.”

Participating choirs included Anima Christi Chorale, Coro Basilica de Malolos, Coro Tomasino, UPLB Choral Ensemble, University of the Philippines Medicine Choir, UP Vocal Ensemble, among others.

The international set of jurors came from Indonesia, Singapore, Germany and the Philippines. The event also marked the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ 40th anniversary.

After the CCP competition, the UV Chorale is looking to participate in another international competition in Busan, South Korea come November and in Europe next year. — Nathalie M. Tomada, Entertainment Editor/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)

Forty years ago, the Philippine Madrigal Singers wowed audiences with storied performance at the 1st Choruses of The World Festival at Lincoln Center. Join the Madz once again with music lovers , critics and the Filipinos of New York City.

Philippine Patrons of the Arts, USA cordially invites you to

The New York City Concert of the two-time European Gran Prix for Choral Singing winner

and the 2009 UNESCO Artists for Peace!

Philippine Madrigal Singers will tour North America in the fall, including a New York City solo concert on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at St. Ignatius, Loyola.


Works featuring Sestina: Lagrime damante al sepolcro dellamata by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Works by Balsamo, Cayabyab, Pamintuan and other Filipino composers and Choral Music from around the world as performed in the designation ceremonies at UNESCO in Paris, France.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers, also fondly known as the MADZ, first earned critical acclaim during their performance in the First Choruses of the World Festival at Lincoln Center in New York in 1969. This concert welcomed them to the international choral community, eventually paving the way to joining the most distinguished international choral competitions - Torrevieja, Spain; Spittal, Austria; Tours, France; Arezzo and Gorizia, Italy; Neuchatel, Switzerland; Debrecen, Hungary; Varna, Bulgaria; Tolosa, Spain; and Marktoberdorf in Germany, and winning top prizes.


Tickets at $25

Discounts available for Students, Senior Citizens, and Group Orders.


Tickets for the show can be purchased at the venue or online at:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71889

E-mail: madzconcertsnyc@philippinemadrigalsingers.com

Or Call Leo Leal at 786-266-5976 / Enrico Lagasca at 818-433-0653

www.philippinemadrigalsingers.com

http://upms.multiply.com/video/item/45/Madz_as_UNESCO_Artists_for_Peace.m4v

1st National Choral Competition opens

In celebration of its 40th anniversary of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, it will hold the first-ever National Choral Competition which will be held from Aug 18 - 22, 2009.

PARTICIPATING CHOIRS:

ANIMA ( QUEZON CITY )
ANIMA CHRISTI CHORALE (ST. JUDE SHRINE)
CORO BASILICA DE MALOLOS (MALOLOS, BULACAN)
CORO TOMASINO ( MANILA )
GSMS CHILDREN’S ENSEMBLE
HAIL MARY THE QUEEN CHILDREN’S CHOIR (AVE MARIA CHILDREN’S CHOIR FOUNDATION)
HIMIG SANGHAYA CHORALE (SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA)
HIYAS NG PILIPINAS CHILDREN’S CHOIR ( MANILA )
ILOCOS NORTE NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL- SAMIWENG SINGERS ( LAOAG CITY )
IMUSICAPELLA (IMUS, CAVITE )
THE LIGHTER SIDE MOVEMENT (SAN FELIPE NERI PARISH MUSIC MINISTRY, MANDALUYONG)
THE LIPA CHORAL ENSEMBLE ( SAN SEBASTIAN CATHEDRAL)
LORETO MINSTRELS (MANILA)
MARY THE QUEEN CHILDREN’S CHOIR (MARY THE QUEEN PARISH, SAN JUAN )
MSU-IIT OCTAVA CHORALE SOCIETY ( ILIGAN CITY )
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY CHORALE (VALENZUELA)
STA. TERESITA PARISH CHORALE (STA. TERESITA DEL NIÑO JESUS PARISH, QC)
TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR
UPLB CHORAL ENSEMBLE (LOS BAÑOS LAGUNA)
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES ,EDICINE CHOIR (UPMED CHOIR)
UP VOCAL ENSEMBLE –SIC SINGERS (UP DILIMAN/ STA. ISABEL COLLEGE )
UNIVERSITY OF THE VISAYAS (UV) CHORALE

August 18, 2009 8 PM OPENING CEREMONIES/CONCERT
August 19, 2009 1PM SACRED MUSIC COMPETITION
August 20, 2009 10AM CHILDREN’S CHOIR COMPETITION
August 20, 2009 2 PM MIXED CHOIR COMPETITION
August 21, 2009 1 PM FOLK MUSIC COMPETITION
August 21, 2009 8 PM PHILIPPINE MADRIGAL SINGERS’ CONCERT
August 22, 2009 8 PM ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS/ WINNERS’ PERFORMANCE/ CLOSING
CEREMONIES

For more information: http://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph/page.php?page_id=198

3 children’s choirs bag top prizes in Korea

MANILA, Philippines—Three Philippine children’s choirs bagged the grand prizes at the 1st World Choir Championships held in Changwon City, Gyeongnam province in South Korea, on July 10, the Philippine Embassy in Seoul reported on Tuesday.

In a dispatch to the home office, the embassy said the groups, namely the Mandaue Children’s Choir, the Young Voices of the Adventist University of the Philippines and the Calasiao Children’s Chorus won in different events during the competition.

Mandaue Children’s Choir won first prize, Children’s Choir category, Grand Prix of Choral Music; the Young Voices of the Adventist University of the Philippines, gold prize, Children’s Choir category, 2nd Asia Choir Game, and silver prize, Music of the Religions category, 2nd Asian Choir Game; and Calasiao Children’s Chorus, first prize, Folklore category, Korean International Open Choir Competition, and gold prize, Korean International Open Choir Competition.

Each of the choir group also received a cash award of $12,000 or around P580,000.

The World Choir Games was organized by the Interkultur group and the city government of Changwon. It is held every two years in different partner cities around the world, with competing choirs vying for the title of “Champions of the World Choir Games.”

The choir groups were judged by an international jury, one of whom is renowned Philippine choral conductor and former member of the Madrigal Singers, Jonathan Velasco.

Embassy officials attended the choir competition in Changwon City, about four hours south of Seoul.

They said the world-class Philippine choirs have brought honor and prestige to the country.

By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Novo Concertante's First European Tour

Choral singing in the Philippines has been elevated to an art form that now constitutes an influential force in defining contemporary Filipino culture. This dynamism began almost two decades ago when a number of university and church choirs started making names for themselves in the international choral world, following the pioneering and excellent achievements of the Philippine Madrigal Singers under Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion. The standards they have set, both in the technical aspect of choral singing, as well as in the management of these groups became the model for many choirs. The ultimate point of reference for these choirs to claim, at the very least, that they are almost there is by joining and eventually winning international choral competitions, particularly those that are staged in Europe.

Following this assertion, many choirmasters in the Philippines dream of the day when they can finally bring their choirs to the continent where choral tradition was born. Many try their luck in prestigious competitions where they are pitted against the best choral groups around the world. Luckily, many have come home with the most cherished laurel that they offer to the motherland, in the tradition of pasalubong-giving.

In the ten years that I have led the Novo Concertante Manila, I have always dreamt of this moment: the moment where we can finally fly to Europe and try our luck in choral competitions held in the most rightful place of judgment to gauge whether what we have done to the tradition is true to its form or not. We have waited ten years for this chance, which I hope is the first of many. We excitedly take the challenge to determine if our musicality and musicianship are already at par with our contemporaries from around the world. It is also my personal advocacy to responsibly remind people of the world that the Philippines is a country of happy singers whose deepest aspirations includethe free expression of truth. Through our songs, we can show another facet of the Philippine society, that side which can emphatically be accepted, understood, and hopefully loved by people of other races. This is how we intend to carry out the taskof bringing the good news from the Philippines to the world. If we are able to accomplish this, whether we come home with our bags full of the much-hoped-for prizes or not, then this trip shall be a victorious one. When we board the plane that will bring us to Europe, we no longer just carry our own dreams butwe transcend into the persona of the Filipino taht our forefathers dared dream of: the proud but amiable Filipino who can stand tall, side by side with his brothers from around the world.

Many from the past say that when a man dares to dream big, there is hope, not only for himself but for his surroundings. I am reminded of Pope John Paul II, who said that "hope is not an empty optimism springing from a naive confidence that the future will necessarily be better than the past. Hope and trust are the premise of responsible activity and are nurtured in that inner sanctuary of conscience where man is alone with God." Together with the Novo Concertante Manila, I have hoped for this chance to let our voices be heard in the concert halls and churches in Europe. We have worked responsibly hard in the past two years to improve our sound, and to try to accomplish the more difficult task of raising the much-needed millions to afford our necessary expenditures for the trip. The process is not an easy one but we are always comforted by a mysterious source of inspiration which continuosly assures us that everything will fall into the right place at the right time. And when we open our mouths to sing, it is our profound yearning that we shallbring our listeners to that familiar sanctuary where God is one with all of us. When we are able to make this a reality, then we can rightfully claim that "Yes! We are almost there!"

UST Singers win major awards in international tour

The UST Singers capped their 17th international concert tour by winning major awards in the recent 2nd Californian International Choral Competition last June 25-29 at San Obispo, California.

Besting choirs from the United States, Macedonia, Africa, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, UST’s premier choral ensemble bagged two first-prize awards for the Required Pieces and Folklore categories, respectively and the People’s Choice awards, which the audience chose as the best choir in the four-day event held at the 1,200 capacity San Luis Performing Arts Center.

The UST Singers performed "Alles was odem hat lobe denn Herrn" from the motette Singet dem Herrn by JS Bach, and "Ave Maria "by Los Angeles Basedd composer Morten Lauridsen and Numerations"" by Lithuanian composer Jonas Tamoluionis in the Required Pieces category.

In the Folklore category, the Thomasian ensemble sang its conductor Fidel Calalang, Jr.’s composition Ayug ti Amianan (Scenes from the North), in three parts, the last being a series of variations on the Igorot song Chua-Ay. Also in the repertoire are two choral arrangements of Calalang’s "Waray-waray" and "Tirindingding".

The UST Singers began their 17th international concert tour from May 7 to July 12, covering key cities in the United States like New York, Las Vegas, Portland, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver, Washington, Honolulu and Seattle.

Founded by Calalang (the head of the Conducting Department and a music instructor at the UST Conservatory of Music) in 1993, the 26-man UST Singers are composed of students and alumni from different colleges and faculties in UST and have garnered over 45 top awards in various international choral competitions. In 1995, it became the only Asian choir to win the Choir of the World Grand Prize held in Wales, UK. It also topped the International Choral Competitions in Gorizi, Italy and Monster, Netherlands in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

The UST Singers had also been invited to sing in different choral festivals in France, Spain, Taiwan, Scotland, Germany and Mexico. They have graced the presence of several dignitaries like Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain, the Princess of Thailand, Presidents Diosdado Macapagal, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the late tenor Lucianno Pavarotti.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers Unesco Artists for Peace

The Philippine Madrigal Singers, one of the most awarded choirs in the world, made the country proud once again when they were designated by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Koïchiro Matsuura as Artist for Peace.

The conferment was made on July 27 just before the group's concert at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris , France.

The Philippine Madrigal singers received this distinction "in recognition of their efforts to promote dialogue and understanding among peoples in Southeast Asia , their contribution to extend UNESCO's message of peace and tolerance, and their dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization."

The choir is expected to support UNESCO programmes on cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in the next two years.. Specific projects include a series of Concerts for Peace, a Sing for Peace festival and various choral singing classes, workshops and educational activities.

Other UNESCO Artists for Peace are musician Manu Dibango (Cameroon), actress Patricia Velasquez (Venezuela), musician Gilberto Gil (Brazil), dancer Miyako Yoshida (Japan), soprano Sumi Jo (Republic of Korea), singer and founder of the musical group Gypsy Kings Chico Bouchikhi (France) and conductor Valery Gergiev (Russian Federation).

The Philippine Madrigal Singers, known as the MADZ, were brought together in 1963 by music professor Andrea O. Veneracion. The group performs music of different genres but specializes in the Renaissance style for which it is named.

The choir has won numerous awards, including the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in 2007 ( Arezzo , Italy ). Its influence in the Philippines and throughout Asia is far-reaching.

Responsible for training more than 200 singers and choral music specialists since its creation, the group goes on tour twice a year, not only abroad but also to the most remote parts of the Philippines .

The Philippine Madrigal Singers will have a concert titled "MADZ About Love...Madz About Peace" at the CCP Main Theatre on Aug. 27 and 28 at 8 p.m.

The concert is presented by Unilever Philippnes, PLDT MyDSL, Sony Philippines, Sony Music and Cultural Center of the Philippines . Tickets are available at all Ticket World outlets or call 891-9999. Ticket prices are P2,000, P1,500, P1,000, P700, P500 and P200.