The performance of Cardinal Tagle
He had just arrived from Rome two days before the performance. Weeks before, he had agreed immediately to sing at our Musica Sacra festival, but some appointments from the Holy Father came after: head of Caritas International, and later, head of the Catholic Biblical Fedration. So, we asked someone the songs that the cardinal preferred to sing, and we were told: Hidden God and Sanlibong Buhay (A thousand lives). Our musical director made the musical arrangement, including backup vocals and accompaniment with keyboard and rondalla. On Friday, we received notice from the cardinal’s office that he did not know the whole song of Hidden God and was going to sing only Sanlibong Buhay.
He arrived before seven in the evening on Saturday (curtain call was 7:30). We received him at the recreo, with some PR (Press Relations) people, who are volunteers for the San Sebastian church restoration. Then we invited him for dinner. He was cheerful and gracious throughout. We learned that he sings at concerts for fund raising (self-deprecatingly saying that it is his presence rather than his singing that make people give generously) in some parishes of the archdiocese. He recalls the importance of liturgical songs, even in a political setting. Sometime after the EDSA revolution (1986), Cory Aquino was having difficulty getting into her house, because of the masses of people, who were becoming unruly. Someone had the idea of singing Pananagutan, a very popular liturgical song based on Rom 14,7-8, and soon the people calmed down.
He practised the song just before performance, and the singing came out well. Afterwards, at the sacristy, and the lobby outside, he was mobbed by the faithful who wanted pictures with him, with which he cheerfully and generously obliged.
IV Centennial of Cavite
We mentioned to him about this year being the second year of our preparation for the 400th anniversary of Recollect presence in Cavite, with Imus as our focus of attention this year, and he said he wanted to be invited. He was Bishop of Imus before he became Archbishop of Manila. He was baptized in the Imus cathedral, he was later parish priest there. And as bishop, he would remind his priests that a saintly pastor had been in those place, so that they would do well to imitate Saint Ezekiel Moreno.
The Third Musica Sacra Fest
The 3rd Musica Sacra (Sacred Music) Festival was held on Friday, May 29th and Saturday, May 30th, at 7.30 p.m., at the historic San Sebastian Basilica. On Sunday, May 31st, all afternoon masses featured amazing chorale music at every hour beginning 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Admission was free.
This year’s Music Sacra was unique as it featured all-Filipino compositions, including the inspirational works of Manoling Francisco, SJ, Lester Delgado, Arnel Depano, Gary Valenciano. Performing on May 29 were Gloria Patri Singers, Summerwind Choir, Philippine CamerataSingers, Cantor’s League, Couples for Christ SSB, Himig Rosena. Performers on May 30th were Mr. Lemuel Garcia, substituting for Mr. George Yang, the UST College of Science Glee Club, BoscoRale, Regina Coeli Choir, and the Mapa Cardinal Singers. A highlight of the evening was a performance by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, backed by the award-winning San Sebastian Chamber singers, under the baton of Mr. Alfie Jacinto. Dancers from the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet also performed.
It was raining hard during the Saturday concert, but sometime after the last number, the rain abated. The church was not as full as we would have expected, although it was considerably publicized that the cardinal was singing. But certainly, this third edition of the Musica Sacra festival has been, by design of the organizers, bigger than the previous ones.
All the performers gave their services pro bono. They consider it an honor to sing at San Sebastian church. The temple is not only magnificent in appearance but also has great acoustics!
This festival conjoins efforts by the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation & Development Foundation, which has set in motion a 10-year program to rescue this unique all-metal church. The basilica contains some of the most outstanding original artworks by legendary Filipino painters and sculptors, such as Lorenzo Rocha, Lorenzo Guerrero and Isabelo Tampingco, most of whose other works have been lost in the mist of time. Today, the stunning edifice is in dire need of conservation from over 300 leaks and severe corrosion. The basilica’s San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc, tasked with the preservation of this building, was awarded a landmark grant from the United States Department of State through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2011.