THE UST Singers held a Christmas benefit concert for the children of Baseco Compound in Tondo yesterday at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.
The concert, titled “Sing to the World” was an addition to the choir’s Christmas Serenade series, where the choir performed in various churches and institutions to raise funds for charitable causes.
Under the baton of founder Fidel Calalang Jr., the UST Singers opened the concert with Spanish composer Josu Elberdin’s “Cantate Domino.” It was followed by American composer Kevin Memley’s arrangement of “Ave Maria” and young Indonesian conductor Budi Susanto Yohanes’ “Gloria Patri” and “Ceciliada.”
The choir also performed Calalang’s arrangement of popular songs from classic musicals such as “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical Rent, “Go the Distance” from Hercules and “This Is the Moment” from the musical horror-drama Jekyll and Hyde.
The concert ended with a repertoire of original Filipino Christmas music, including Ryan Cayabyab’s “Kumukutikutitap,” “Mano Po, Ninong” and “Kampana ng Simbahan.”
The choir is set to perform another benefit concert at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Parish Church in Baao, Camarines Sur on Dec. 20.