Christmas Time!!

More than the chilly weather, and more than the parols that light up every house in the city, the thing that best tells me that Christmas season has finally arrived is the MUSIC.

It's everywhere! The piped canned music in the malls to serenade you while you shop, or the several concerts being performed left and right.

Which brings me to the real subject of my post: SHAMELESS PLUGGING!!!

I shall be singing as one of the soloists with the Metro Manila Community Orchestra (under Conductor Josefino Chino Toledo) in the Philippine premiere of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (Yup... THE Weihnachtsoratorium), all 6 Parts! ;)

Do come and watch on the following dates and times, if you can!

(Admission is free for Parts 4-6; for Parts 1-2 they will be selling tickets to raise funds for the church's roof-building project)

Parts 1 and 2: December 11, 2007, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.

                     with the U.P. Camerata Voices under Kuya Cholo Gino

                     at the Santuario de San Jose, Greenhills

Parts 3 and 4: December 14, 2007, Friday, 8:00 p.m.

                     with the Ateneo Chamber Singers

                     under Sir Jonathan Velasco

                     at the Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University

Parts 5 and 6: December 17, 2007, Monday, 8:00 p.m.

                     with Novo Concertante under Sir Arwin Tan

                     at St. James the Great Parish, Ayala Alabang Village

Oh, and last night I watched Beethoven's 9th Symphony performed LIVE in its entirety, by my collegemates. *sniff* Am so proud of my college! GO CMu!?!?!?!! Ang galing galing ng choir (siyempre, under Sir Eudy e)!!!

I can't decide which of the four movements I liked best. Sayang lang, I think the orchestra was under-rehearsed. But all things considered, they did a pretty good job.

They also performed excerpts from Messiah by Handel, namely: the 2nd part of the Sinfonia, and the choruses: And the Glory of the Lord, For Unto Us A Son Is Born, and the Hallelujah Chorus (but OF COURSE!).  

The highlight of the evening (for me) was after the community sing-along of 6 Christmas songs, when the orchestra and choir sang U.P. NAMING MAHAL and invited the audience to join in. T.T

Graduating student +  the alma mater song = P.O.I.G.N.A.N.T. moment!

Waaaaaa, so many emotions were running through me the whole evening, I was ranting and raving the whole time we drove back home. Napuyat ako but I didn't care. 'Twas well worth it.

Congrats to all the perfomers! 'Til next year!

~ ~ Am quite nervous about the week to come. I'll be "making puyat" every night with all the rehearsals and performances, and on top of that, I have 7 am class everyday except Wednesday (9 am, 2 hours reprieve) which I can't miss because next week is 1st Exam week. Waaaaaa ~ ~