09 October 2013 - The Philippines successfully showcased the musical talents of its people through The University of Santo Tomas Singers who performed to an enthusiastic audience at the Hanoi Opera House and at the Haiphong Opera House in Vietnam last October 3 and 5, respectively.
The exceptional performance of the 21-member choir was conducted by its founder and musical director Professor Fidel Calalang, Jr., a world-renown conductor and composer. The choir’s repertoire is an international blend of musical pieces in different languages that includes “O Magnum Mysterium” in Latin, “Eres Tu” in Spanish, “Veniki” in Russian, “Och Jungfrun Hon Gar I Ringen” in Swedish and Sa Libis ng Nayon” in Filipino. Also featured are well-loved songs from musicales such as “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables and “Go the Distance” from Disney’s Hercules.
This event is part of the celebration of “Philippine Cultural Days in Vietnam” and is jointly organized by the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of the Philippines and by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam in furtherance of cultural exchange between Vietnam and the Philippines.
Aside from the musical performance by The University of Santo Tomas Singers, “Philippine Cultural Days in Vietnam” was also celebrated with an exhibit entitled “Our Pattern of Islands: The Patterns of Culture in Philippine Traditional Textiles” curated by Dr. Norma Respicio of the Department of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines. The textile exhibit featured exquisitely woven traditional textiles from different parts of the country from Ilocos, to the Cordilleras, to the Visayas region and down south to Mindanao. These patterns reflect the culture, beliefs and artistic gifts of the Filipino people.
NCCA Executive Director Emelita Almosara headed the Philippine delegation for the “Philippine Cultural Days in Vietnam.” The delegation was warmly received by H.E. Vuong Duy Bien, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and by Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Jerril G. Santos.
The celebration of the “Philippine Cultural Days in Vietnam” will have a counterpart performance from a group of Vietnamese artists who will perform later this month in Manila for the “Vietnam Cultural Days in the Philippines.” The aim of these exchanges is to promote the tradition and culture of each country and to affirm the excellent bilateral relations obtaining between the Philippines and Vietnam, with a view to the achievement of an ASEAN socio-cultural community by year 2015. END
