Rotary Club of Cebu to stage first-ever choral festival, for a cause

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu will finally experience its first-ever choral festival through the initiative of the Rotary Club of Cebu, which is mounting the Gift of Life Chorale Concert and Benefit Gala on December 6.

In a presscon held last October 7 at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel, Rotary Club of Cebu president Jose Soberano III said that early preparations are underway because the club aims to raise at least P2 million from the charity event, as well as from Rotarian contributions and pledges, so as to be able to set into motion the Gift of Life program.

Soberano said that the project is about saving lives and all about heart, figuratively and literally, since the Gift of Life program takes care of the medical needs of children from underprivileged backgrounds who suffer from congenital heart defects or diseases.

Operation and other medical expenses for a single patient are said to cost as much as P300,000.

The Gift of Life program was launched in 1975 by the Rotary Club in Long Island, New York, when a Ugandan child was brought to the US to undergo an open heart surgery. It has since evolved into a global movement, benefiting over 10,000 kids from all over the world to date. This year, through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Cebu, the program will materialize for the very first time in the Philippines, with the concert for a cause serving as the head start. Beneficiaries will be identified with assistance from the doctors of the Gift of Life Foundation.

The Gift of Life Concert is also laudable in another aspect as it gathers Cebu's top university choirs in one stage—the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel in Lahug. One could even call it a landmark event that’s been a long time coming.

This is because despite the accolades that our Cebuano choirs have garnered here and abroad, and the immeasurable pride that they have brought to Cebu, opportunities to enjoy them and their music have been wanting. Never, indeed, has there been an effort of this magnitude to demonstrate Cebu’s vibrant choral tradition and community.

To perform at the Gift of Life Chorale Concert are the five most notable campus choirs from the University of the Visayas, University of Cebu, University of Southern Philippines, University of San Carlos and Cebu Normal University. Expect a showdown of vocal artistry, lively choreography, and youthful razzmatazz from these choirs.

Soberano said that the internationally-acclaimed UV Chorale, which will defend its MBC national choral competition grand champion title in Manila a day after the choral festival, promised to perform its signature, specially-arranged Visayan numbers.

For its part, the UC Chorus, another multi-awarded choir, will render some of its winning pieces at the SM Glee Show Choir national contest in Manila last month. USP, USC and CNU are also expected to dish out a wide-ranging repertoire of pop tunes and classics. The choral festival will hold matinee and gala shows, with tickets to the latter priced at P1,000 each (inclusive of dinner).

The Rotary Club of Cebu prides itself as the second oldest club in the country, having been chartered in 1938. It has also been a recipient of several awards and citations for service. The concert is just the latest in its long and varied list of service-oriented projects, which included livelihood programs, medical missions, voter's education campaign, plus other endeavors that have had helped and empowered education and environmental conservation work.

For more information, you may visit their website at rotarycebu.org  (THE FREEMAN)