Christmas revival of Manila Pen

By Gerry Garcia

DECEMBER 8, which is today Sunday, is a memorable if dismal historic date in 1941 when World War II reached our shores. It was the day when squadrons of  Japanese bombers which had just  bombed and laid to waste  the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, thundered  across Luzon’s skies to attack and destroy the unsuspecting US airbases in Clark, Pampanga and the naval base in Subic, Olongapo.

December 8 today is also red-letter day for Peninsula Manila which has just restored its original ambience following its destructive siege by mutinous Trillanes-led rebels.

On this day, Sunday, the annual “Christmas Concert at the Pen” now on its 24th year, will take place again at 5 p.m.

It will feature the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) and its Italian guest conductor Maestro Ruggero Barbieri who will be flying in from Italy for the concert.

Conductor Barbieri, who had served for eight years as the PPO’s music director and principal conductor, has lined up an inspiring selection of music expected to stir the spirits of Christmas — joy and goodwill.

Among the Maestro’s choices are the joyful Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, the lilting Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna, by Straus, Deck the Hall, Adeste Fideles and Joy to the World.

For a Philharmonic group like the PPO which is comprised by an all- Pinoy membership, I find that the reputation it has developed as one of the top musical ensembles inthe Asia Pacific region is amazing. Press accounts showed the PPO has played under renowned conductors like Mendi Rodan, Piero Gamba, YacobBergman, and Nicholas Koch. And accompanied solo artists like pianists Van Cliburn, David Benoit, Rolf Hind and Ceciil Licad; Pop vocalists Martin Nievera, Lea Salonga, Regine Velasquez and Rachelle Gerodas.

Lea Salonga, by the way, is on a level above that of the others. She is truly international,  a level boosted by her starring role in Miss Saigon and Les Miserable. Also pianist Cecil Licad who has recorded performances with America’s symphony orchestras like Boston, Chicago and New York.

Violinist Oscar Yatco is another Pinoy symphony orchestra conductor who wields the baton over the Munich Symphony Orchestra in Germany as resident conductor. The late Redentor Romero, a former Dagupan resident had been a travelling guest conductor for many foreign symphony orchestras in Mexico, London, Chicago, Los Angeles and even in Moscow, Russia. Reding (his nickname) had been my contemporary in the late 40s when we were taking lessons in violin playing under the late Antonio Espino in Barangay Pantal.

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