Scholasticans: Bravo!

The veritable throng reaching the rafters of St. Cecilia’s Hall had each guest in effect paying tribute to Sr. Baptista Battig who, a century ago, founded the St. Scholastica College School of Music, thus establishing formal music education in the Philippines.

As in tertulias of old, the tertulia honoring Sr. Battig had the stage of St. Cecilia’s Hall arranged like a sala or a living room. Narrator Sr. Angelica Leviste, SSC president, sat on a lounging chair with Priscilla F. Sison, SSC Music Alumnae Association president, and pianist Marguerite M. Echaus. On the opposite side, women in ternos chatted leisurely, deepening the ambiance of a tertulia.

The motley musical that ensued was interpreted by five generations — faculty members, seasoned and young graduates — displaying varying degrees of competence and, in certain instances, of excellence; e.g., soprano Camille Lopez Molina who rendered Dedication and The Erlking by Schumann and Schubert, respectively, — composers for whom Sr. Battig had a special predilection — and Greg Zuniega who gave impeccable accompaniment. Both artists garnered prolonged applause.

In Schumann’s Soaring and In the Night, Marguerite Echaus eloquently demonstrated Sr. Battig’s technique to lusty applause, likewise.

Pianist Grace Gatchalian was assisting artist to cellist Antoni Josef Inacay who infused fluidity and grace into Ravel’s Pavanne for a Dead Princess. Ten Benedictine nuns then performed native folk songs arranged by A. Consolacion: Sisters Mary Placid Abejo, Benilda Maramba, Imelda Halili, Pia Lansang, Hilda Buhay, Mary Vincent Feliciano, Agnella Capili, Angelica Leviste, Gregoria Getubig and Salvacion Umali. The charming, simple-complex arrangement was geared toward each pianist’s capacity, and the result delighted and surprised the listeners who thundered their approval.

Again, ten pianists played native folk songs arranged by A. Espino, thus pointing up Sr. Battig’s earnest encouragement of Filipinos to compose as well as to perform. The pianists were Ingrid Chualao, Lourdes Guevarra, Rea Jimenez, Gretchen Arnaldo, Ramona Balingcos, Gloria Austria, Simonette Feria Jaclene Palanca, Renee Camus and Liza Supat.

The SSC Chamber Orhcestra under conductor Jeffrey Solares and five generations of pianists interpreted Dohnanyi’s Variations on a Nursery Rhyme (which begins with the first letters of the English alphabet). Eight-year old Lorenzo Torres darted on the stage to play the simplified ABCDEFG theme, then quickly disappeared — doing this act twice to audience amusement and laughter. The brasses initially sounded rather unpleasant, but for the rest of the work, the orchestra was gratifyingly cohesive, its dynamics skillfully modified for both the lyric and dramatic passages. Pianists Corazon Mateo, Priscilla F. Sison, Rosemarie dela Paz, Marian de Vera and Jane Banta left nothing to be desired, establishing marvelous rapport with each other and with the ensemble.

As Sr. Angelica requested, in keeping with the tradition established by King George II, the audience stood for Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus as a hundred voices from SSC choirs and the Ateneo Glee Club rose in harmonious splendor. Lourdes Hermo conducted choir and ensemble.

During intermission Sr. Mary Vincent Feliciano announced 74 awardees who had furthered the cause of music and music education. According to Sr. Placid, guests had come from as far as the US, Saudi Arabia and Jeddah. German Ambassador Christian Ludwig Weber and Prioress General Sr. Angela Stroebel of Tutzing sent congratulatory greetings.

A vibrant spirit of Scholastican unity pervaded the entire evening, with listeners and performers becoming as one. To the nuns, to the organizers who conceptualized a widely diverse, original and riveting musical to suit both amateurs and professionals, to the participants, to the awardees and audience, a resounding Bravo!