Veteran singer Dulce will headline the hundreds of performers and musicians who will mount the annual Christmas gala concert of the University of Santo Tomas on Dec. 5, 7 p.m., at the UST Santissimo Rosario Church. The concert will benefit victims in Eastern Visayas of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
Other featured performers are the world-renowned UST Singers and the UST Symphony Orchestra.
For this year, beneficiaries of the strictly invitational gala concert will not be the heritage conservation program of the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences, the oldest museum in the country; or the scholarship program of the UST Conservatory of Music, the biggest music school in the region.
Beneficiaries will be the victims of Yolanda, said Fr. Isidro Abaño, OP, co-chair of the concert organizing committee and director of the UST Museum.
“The annual Christmas gala concert is one event held at UST that we always look forward to,” wrote UST Rector Magnificus Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, OP, to Father Abaño. “But in the light of the previous events, particularly the typhoon that ravaged many provinces of the Visayas region, UST has decided to tone down all Christmas activities and celebrations.”
The letter of the UST rector to Abaño was in line with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle’s reminder to academic institutions and religious communities to review and evaluate their Christmas celebrations and to make necessary adjustments in the light of the earthquake and typhoon that affected the Visayas one after the other in October and November.
Now on its 11th year, the UST Christmas concert will feature award-winning singer and theater actress Dulce, a Visayan herself. She will perform J. Peterson’s “Night of Miracles (A Christmas Cantata)” with the UST Symphony Orchestra and Herminigildo Ranera’s arrangement of A. Adam’s “O Holy Night.” She will perform the latter with her son, David Cruz, an alumnus of the UST Conservatory of Music.
UST Singers
The UST Singers, the only choir to have won the Choir of the World title (Pavarotti Prize) of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, will perform G. Rossini’s “Barber of Seville Overture.” Conductor is professor Fidel Calalang Jr.
To open the concert is a performance of M. Leontovych’ “A Christmas Prayer: Carol of the Bells” and A.H. Malotte’s “Lord’s Prayer,” to be sung by Christian Nagaño, Micah David Galang, Ma. Pilar Charlene Ramos and Frances Alyanna Leoncito.
UST Conservatory of Music faculty members—flutists Erick Barcelo and Gary Silangcruz; bassoonist Adolfo Mendoza; and harpist Lourdes de Leon Gregorio—will perform A. Vivaldi’s Concerto in C, First Movement.
Other performers include Leo Angelo Lanuza, Stephanie Aguilar, Jade Riccio, Raymond Francis Muyot, Jilbert Chua, Glee Nette Gaddi, Abigail Garza and Jasmin Salva.
Also performing are the Coro Tomasino, Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble, and Hail Mary the Queen Children’s Choir under conductor Maria Theresa Roldan.
As finale, the performers will lead the audience in singing classic Christmas songs: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.”
The 2013 Christmas concert gala is chaired by Abaño and art patroness Ma. Cristina Zobel. It is presented by Belo Medical Group and San Miguel Corporation.
The Concert is open to the Thomasian community and the public for free on Dec. 4, 7 p.m.
“The concert has been a tradition that has built up in the (Thomasian) community,” said Raul Sunico, dean of the UST Conservatory of Music and president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. “It is special because, aside from it being an extravaganza, modesty aside, its quality is high and it has great audio and visual pleasure.”
Call UST Public Affairs Office at 4061611 loc. 8315.