Love Comes Home: A Pre-Valentine Concert
By Maria Celine Veloso Pil |
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They came home… two Philippine artists based abroad who had entranced us with their former performances when they were here on vacations, presented by Martin Lopez, the very young impresario executive director of SinagTala. They both came home with their parents just before Valentine’s Day to fill our hearts again with love through their beautiful music. Of course, we remember Lilac Caña’s stirring performances during the “Three Home Concerts” presented by Martin at his Lolo Tiking’s home with the Philippines’ “Mr. & Mrs. Music”, the baritone Manny Gregorio and the pianist Lourdes Gregorio, the young pianist Patrick Reyes; the violinists Rechelle Alcances and Jareena Inacay; at Carmen Padilla’s home with the young gifted pianist Hiyas Hila, and at Odette Alcantara’s home with the mezzo soprano Grace Chan, tenor Nelson Caruncho and the pianist Lea Capulong. She was fabulous in the “Sopranos” at Philamlife Theater with sopranos Rachelle Gerodias, Thea Tadiar and Eileen Fernandez, pianist Lourdes Gregorio, the Athenaeum String Quartet and the all-female MusiKalinangan Philippine Bamboo and Gong Ensemble. Only 7 years old when her family migrated to Canada (from Cebu), Lilac graduating with honors from the University of Toronto Opera Performance Program and from the Glen Gould Professional School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, is now highly recognized as one of the top sopranos in Canada, performing with major orchestras and with the Canadian Opera Company.
And who can forget the then 24 year old Carlos “Chuckie” Ibay who brought us to laughter and tears during the presscon at the press room of the CBCP with Father James Reuter at the helm, singing and accompanying himself at the keyboard, expressing his feelings to an audience he could not see? And how he entranced us at the CCP Main Theater with his beautiful tenor voice as he sang inspiring songs to his own piano accompaniment? This child whom the doctors advised his mother to abort for reasons of health, but because of a mother’s love was brought to fruition although premature and because of the intense heat of the incubator lost his vision. But guided by Christ’s Love, the Ibays brought up this precocious child exposing him to Classical music even when he was in his mother’s womb, that barely two years old, the baby was playing “Je voudrais maman” on the keyboard. How precious are the ways of God!
In their joint concert held at the CCP Little Theater, Lilac and Chuckie opened their program with a prayer solemnly singing Caccini’s “Ave Maria” with Chuckie also at the piano. Then, they presented a unique program mixing classical and popular music, their lectures and comments about the music highly entertaining the audience.
Chuckie’s rendition of Chopin’s “Nocturne in B flat Major Opus 9 Number 1” brought to the fore the deep musicality of Frederic Chopin, which earned for him the title “Poet of the Piano.” Lilac and assisting artist Lourdes Gregorio mirrored Debussy’s brand of impressionism in their slow, delicate and dramatic rendition of “C’est L’extase Langoureuse” and the contrasting animated “Green,” Lilac’s high pianissimos breathlessly enchanting the audience.
“Tonight” from “West Side Story” sang by Lilac and Chuckie was a nostalgic remembrance of Tony and Maria, the star-crossed lovers in Leonard Bernstein’s and Jerome Robbin’s modern version of “Romeo and Juliet” as they sang this song in the “balcony scene” (fire escape). More love songs “Maria Elena” by Carillo and “Un Amor Per Sempre” by Afanasieff and Marinangeli sang by Chuckie and Granados’ “Gracia Mia” sang by Lilac put the audience in the mood for love. Then Lilac brought us to the operatic world when she vividly and hilariously interpreted Musetta in Puccini’s “Quando M’en Vo” from “La Boheme” telling everyone that as she strolls along the avenue, all the men are attracted to her, “their eyes revealing plainly how I tempt them.” This was, of course, meant for her sweetheart Marcello, who pretends not to notice her after a lovers’ quarrel. In the end, they are back in each other’s arms.
The first half of the concert ended with Chuckie interpreting Chopin’s “Scherzo Number 3 in C Sharp Minor” with his powerful octaves and sweeping arpeggios contrasting with a choral-like hymn in the B section (Trio) in E Major then back to C Sharp Minor leading to a tumultuous coda inciting the audience to a standing ovation!
How delicately Lilac, with Lourdes at the piano, interpreted Hugo Wolf’s “Auch Kleine Dinge” as she sang that precious things come in small packages as the pearl, contrasting this with the humorous “Ich Hab in Penna,” her fast articulation so clear and pleasing to the ears.
After Lilac and Chuckie sang each a Filipino song, Cabajar’s “Wasay Wasay” and Celerio’s “Ikaw ang Ligaya Ko.” They both sang Frank Wildhorn’s “Only Love,” their voices blending well in a lovely duet with Lilac now joining Chuckie at the piano. It was, however, Chuckie’s improvisatory interpretation of the Lerner-Lowe “Fantasy on Themes from My Fair Lady,” complete with rhythmic foot-stamping and further enlightenment of the songs that brought the house down, the audience participating in hand-clapping and singing some of the familiar songs “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “With a Little Bit of Luck,” et cetera.
For their finale, the talented duo sang Irving Berlin’s “You’re Just in Love” and “I Hear Singing” and ended with Carol Sayer’s and David Foster’s “The Prayer.” The audience erupted in a spontaneous never-ending ovation. They then sang “No Other Love” (Chopin’s beautiful melody of the Etude Number 3 Opus 10 set to words) and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” putting the audience again in the mood for love and cries for more encores.
At Dencio’s in Harbor Square, CCP Complex, where the reception was held after the concert, I learned from Mrs. Ibay that Chuckie quit his Bachelor of Music piano studies at the Mannes School of Music because he was not happy with his teacher. A friend also advised him that with his prodigious talent he can now perform without a BM piano degree. Now I understand why in this recent concert, Chuckie played only two classical piano pieces – the Nocturne and the Scherzo by Chopin (mentioned above.) With his dramatic flair, wit and humor, a beautiful tenor voice, prolific ears and wizardly at the piano, Chuckie can really entertain and make people happy as he just did in this recent concert at the CCP Little Theater. But God gifted him with so much more and classical music uplifts and expands the hearts and minds of men and can bring one to heaven’s door to commune with God, our Maker!
Bon Voyage, Lilac and Chuckie! Thank God for all His blessings and look up to Him always for guidance and protection!
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