The Lord’s Prayer by The CompanY

After over a decade, singer, songwriter and vocal arranger Moy Ortiz has composed a new song for his group, the famous The CompanY. Well, to be honest, it can be rightfully said that it is not really a new work. But it is unlike any that he has done before. One example is the phenomenal hit song Pagdating Ng Panahon that he wrote with Edith Gallardo for Aiza Seguerra.

Nothing like that for this one. This time around, he has instead gone religious or better yet, spiritual. Ortiz has taken on The Lord’s Prayer and given it a new arrangement, styled a la The CompanY.

Ortiz gives his reason for this surprising decision to do a pop version of the Our Father. “Instead of feeding into the hysteria and hopelessness out there, we are sending out the eternal good news that God is in control, no matter the circumstance.” We, the listeners can certainly use such a reminder. The Lord’s Prayer has the message of hope, faith, love and most of all, of total forgiveness that we all have a need of during these turbulent times.

Ortiz’s arrangement of The Lord’s Prayer is an uplifting, lighthearted version. He is hopeful that his take will be accepted and performed during Masses and worship services everywhere just like the previous ones. Think Mallot or Santiago or Hontiveros, and many other composers who have written Our Father. This is why he has made available single and backing tracks of his work on all worldwide digital platforms for free. He has no intention of making a cent out of this age-old prayer.

That means that anybody can simply go online to YouTube, Spotify, Rhapsody, Amazon, Deezer, iTunes, MixRadio Music, emusic, etc., etc. from anywhere and get a copy of what they need to be able to perform the song. But if what you want is a copy of the vocal score done by Ortiz with accompaniment by arranger Paulo Zarate, just e-mail him at [email protected] and he will send you a copy, of course, also for free.

The release of Ortiz’s The Lord’s Prayer is but the first step of a life-affirming project that he is at present working on. The concept album that he hopes to be able to release before the end of this year, is an a cappella pop version of the Mass performed by various artists, who Ortiz is glad, readily agreed to be part of his venture.

An entire Mass celebrated with music by Ortiz should turn out to be quite a pop experience and will certainly be his crowning achievement. But this work is intended to be much more than that. The Ortiz Mass will also serve as a memorial to somebody he was very close to but unfortunately lost last year, his uncle and early mentor, Eugene Villaluz.

The well-liked, talented Eugene was a founding member of the pioneering show band The New Minstrels of Buhat revival fame in the ‘70s. He later went on to build a very successful career in the field of music as a producer, talent manager, educator and most of all, as an award-winning recording artist and performer with big hits like Gulong Ng Palad and Nothing I Want More with Louie Reyes. Eugene passed away from cancer last June 10, 2017.

Meanwhile, here is more about Aiza Seguerra, or should I say, Ice Seguerra, as she wishes to be called nowadays, and The CompanY, which, aside from Moy, is made up of Sweet Plantado, Annie Quintos, Cecile Bautista and OJ Mariano. These two popular acts are scheduled to do one of their rare performances together on Sept. 15 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu. Tickets to the show titled Greatest Hits Originals and Covers are now available at TicketWorld and at the Waterfront ticketing office.

And now, even if we do not have voices like those of The CompanY’s, let us all take a moment to say: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day… Our prayer will surely be heard.