The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra |
Featuring:
ABS-CBN
Philharmonic Orchestra
Gerard
Salonga, conductor
Jose
Mari Chan and Karylle
The
ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra once again proved that lightning can strike
twice as they successfully staged a repeat performance of The Magic of John Williams. Just like the previous concert, this
concert featured the music of John Williams, one of the most popular composers
of our time whose film scores have made a huge impact in popular culture
worldwide.
The
programme for the night was basically the same as the previous concert since
changing the lineup will no longer make this a repeat performance. But there
were a few changes which made this concert a different experience from what has
gone before. As expected, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Gerard Salonga, delivered an electrifying performance that brought the audience to its
feet a handful of times.
The
most noticeable change was that the people in costume are now more varied and
had more participation in the concert. Hogwarts Philippines
were now part of the concert which means that Harry Potter and the rest of the
characters from the novel/film were there. Professor Dumbledore even got on
stage prior to the concert reminding the audience of proper concert etiquette
and most importantly, promoting the orchestra’s social networking sites.
One
other change was that Karylle, who appeared elegant and regal on stage, finally
got to perform on stage. She was originally announced as one of the guests
during the original concert but it was Nikki Gil who ended up performing there.
All I can say is that I am fortunate to have seen both of them since I saw the
concert twice. At the repeat, Superman had the chance to appear on stage with
Karylle, also acting it out as the mesmerized Lois
Lane during the orchestral part of Can You Read My Mind. Karylle also had a
duet with Jose Mari Chan with the song If
We Were in Love. A noticeably strained Jose Mari Chan showed what a trooper
he is by still performing despite being saddled by a nasty cold.
Of
course, a John Williams concert would never be complete without Star Wars. And thankfully, the repeat
had more balance in the Force with more Jedi and Rebellion personalities
present like Anakin Skywalker, Queen Amidala and C-3PO from the Rebel Legion. The original concert
only had a lone Jedi amid Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers (and other
troopers) from the 501st Legion. They once again graced the stage when the Star Wars Suite was
played. Unfortunately, the orchestra had to scrap the Throne Room/End Titles for their final encore as the concert would’ve
gone too long.
After
the concert, the audience had the chance to meet and greet with the people in
costume. Karylle who seemed to be taking the role of Lois
Lane seriously as she stayed by her Superman, was
very accommodating in having people take photos with her.
Now
that they have two John Williams concert in the bag, I now await a major
concert wherein the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra will show their muscle by
playing the usual classical repertoire. They’ve already done it (albeit a light
version) before with Kapamilya Concert: Intro to the Classics and now, it’s
time to bring this to a much wider audience. Besides, it’s one of Gerard
Salonga’s goals to bring classical music to the mainstream audience.
No comments:
Post a Comment