Spirituality and Art in ACGC’s Gloria in excelsis Deo
- Mar 3, 2011
- 3 min read
The Ateneo College Glee Club launched its 90th anniversary concert series with Gloria in Excelsis Deo, a sacred concert on faith and reconciliation held at the Church of the Gesu on January 15, 2011. The concert is divided into three sections: Pag-usbong, Pagbabalik loob, and Pagsagot sa Tawag. ACGC experimented with a new format for this year’s concert. Three speakers reflect on the themes of each section before the choir proceeds with its repertoires.
We were taken by surprise when we began to hear the loud cries inside the Church of the Gesu. As we try to find where the cries are coming from, we realized that it was from the choir, crying and chanting as they enter the church. The members position themselves along different areas of the Gesu, breaking the boundary between performer and audience. As the chanting grows louder, we suddenly realized that the concert has already begun. The chant was Eudenice Palaruan’s Infaag, an arrangement of a tribal hymn from Sagada. The repetition of words and the interlocking melodies evoke a spiritual atmosphere. This is heightened by the Gesu’s neoclassical architecture as well as the light and smoke effects. We were all enchanted by this spiritual chant. Indeed, Infaag is a fitting opening piece that encapsulates the meaning of the entire sacred concert.
The momentum brought about by Infaag, however, is quickly dispersed by a lengthy reflection by an ACGC alumna. By the time he finished his talk, ACGC had to work hard to regain the audience’s attention. And they did not fail to do so. They sang Filipino composer and arranger John August Pamintuan’s Latin version of the Lord’s prayer entitled Pater Noster. The opening lines showcased the hauntingly beautiful voice of ACGC’s male choir members. The piece evolves into a highly dramatic polyphony. Their voices blended perfectly. And the performance was no less than sublime in the next piece, the choir brings to life Anton Bruckner’s masterpiece, Virga Jesse Floruit. Bruckner’s large crescendos were delivered powerfully by the choir, filling the entire church with this Romantic masterpiece. The next piece, Hymne a la Vierge, sharply contrasts Bruckner’s powerful motet. The choir sang with a completely different timbre. Warm and calm music ensues as they sing this hymn of the Virgin Mary.
The second part Pagbabalik-loob is a collection of contemporary Christian music. ACGC began Pagbabalik-loob with the African-American spiritual Rock-A My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham. The choir demonstrated their versatility in singing different vocal styles. They sang the syncopated melodies with ease. And the audience enjoyed the piece as much as they did. The next piece was a crowd favorite. ACGC president Will Tan sang an inspiring rendition of Twila Paris’ A Warrior is a Child. Will tops Gary Valenciano with his powerful yet sensitive voice. The finale for Pagbabalik-Loob is an explosive performance of Mark Hayes’ The Light of a Million Mornings. The audience was blown away by the soprano soloists’ high notes as they ended the piece with a powerful and brilliant finish.
Pagsagot sa Tawag began with Benedictio by Urmas Sisask. Sisask, a modern Estonian composer finds his musical inspiration in Astronomy and writes his music based on his “planetal scale.” Dissonance and irregular rhythmic patterns prove that this piece is exceptionally difficult for both the choir and the listener. Despite this, ACGC Conductor Professor Maria Lourdes Venida-Hermo conducted the choir masterfully and the choir delivered the Sisask’s Benedictio with finesse. I was literally blown away with this piece and was just speechless after hearing it. The audience responded with roars of “bravo!” after this performance. The fast-paced Benedictio was contrasted by the warm canticle Sicut Cervus by Randall Stroope. After which, ACGC sang another song by local composer John August Pamintuan. Pamintuan’s Dayawenen is a chant based from a song of praise and honor among the Agutaynen. The concert ended with Eric Levi’s I Believe. The piece was arranged by one of the choir’s singers Carlo Serrano. Serrano, who is studying composition in the University of the Philippines, showed much promise with his brilliant arrangement. I Believe served as a fitting ending for the concert.
The concert would have been perfect without the lengthy reflections by the ACGC alumna. Nevertheless, the concert was a great success. Although the concert ended later than what was announced, the audience did not seem to mind. ACGC performed an encore performance of the Negro spiritual Elijah Rock to satiate the audience. After this concert, I am convinced that ACGC will surely bring home some medals after their European tour this year.
*This article was originally featured in the 2011 edition of the Blue Sound magazine. Edited by Storm Sevilla, Justin Viray & Ramon Nario.
**Picture provided by http://www.2010presidentiables.wordpress.com.
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