Raptusinco! Part 10

The Philippine Madrigal Singers once again bested amongst international choirs in the 2007 Grand Prix European du Chant Choral Competition held at Arrezo, Italy. Without any hesitation, PMS made itself as the world's best choir, yet again.

Countless audience and listeners around the world are continued to be enchanted by the heavenly blending of voices. From monarchy to the lowly peasants, Madz never fail to give their audience the satisfaction from a vocal performance a world-class level.

Its not surprising that the Madz choir has gained such success and citations, for the quality of the choir's performace is indeed notable, added to their versatility and heartfelt rendition of different tunes, from folklore to ballads and even novelty hits. Truly, this world-known choir stands as ambassadors of goodwill and inter-cultural understanding.

On their return to their motherland, apart from the usual resting, the choir spearheaded different programs and activities to gather, train and develop aspiring choral groups and conductors from around the country. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, being their home, was a witness to the venture in the hope of seeing a singing Philippines. The whole week of this venture concluded with a concert titled: A Whole Lot More at 44.

It was my first time (or so I thought) to watch a performace at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) by none other than the Philippine Madrigal Singers. And for this very special tenth edition of Raptusinco!, I'm counting five of my hand-picked favorite numbers from the performance. Videos from YouTube are available for a look.

Love of My Life

The choirmaster and countertenor of Madz, Sir Mark Anthony Carpio, (who i have an exclusive autograph. Yihee!) recieved a crowd cheer as he does a solo of this Queen original. The crowd made a 'whoa!' as Sir Mark delivers the first line in classical, non-falsetto voice.

My Way

This Frank Sinatra classic astounded the audience as high-noted obligatos graced the song's foreign version. From the intro till coda, the song offered emotions to the masses. Credit should be extended to the sopranos who awed everyone in their climactic ending.

Pater Noster

The Lord's Prayer offered a solemn introuction of the program. Actually, this reminds me of medieval chants. An all-male combination which later was graced by the altos and sopranos.

Kaisa-Isa Niyan

Among the performances from the concert, Kaisa-isa Niyan was the first to capture my attention. This local folksong reminds everyone of Disney's Circle of Life. The ethnic delivery, the commotion of sounds and the unexpected movements of the performers deserves this number a standing ovation. No wonder, this is one of the pieces performed during the Grand Prix.

Riveder le Stelle

This is a personal favorite. The song, though in foreign tongue, created a soulful message to the audience. We have heard the cresendos and sustains turn to marcatos and fortes. This is the first of the contest clips I've watched from YouTube. If i'm not mistaken, the title says, 'We beheld the Stars'. Truly, they did.

A few of the songs I remember include Bulaklak, Hanggang, Tong Song, Austin Powers theme and a lot more.

Sigh, it was a night I'll eternally remember. Thank you Madz for that evening.