Musica FEUROPA returns, presents concert series online

Early in 2021 when Covid-19 was not yet a full blown pandemic, Musica FEUROPA 12, the annual choral festival presented by the Far Eastern University in partnership with the European Union Delegation in the Philippines, teased the involvement of no other than National Artist for Music, Ryan Cayabyab.

But the dreaded disease locked its grip on the world and cultural events got cancelled left and right with the choral festival not getting spared considering that group singing is established as a super spreader event.

But after a year-long delay, Musica FEUROPA 12 returns as a series of choral performances streaming online this May 15, 22, 29, and 30, 2021.

The first three concerts happening on May 15, 22, and 29 will take place on Zoom. Participating choirs will receive constructive feedback from a panel of adjudicators that includes Anna Abeleda-Piquero, Mark Anthony Carpio, Dr. Ed Manguiat, Ramon Lijauco, Jr., Jonathan Velasco, and Dr. Maria Theresa Vizconde-Roldan, all of whom are major figures in the Philippines choral scene.

The finale on May 30, 2021, 8:00 PM, dubbed as Concert of Champions, will feature choirs who have won in previous editions of Musica FEUROPA and then went on to triumph in bigger competitions here and abroad.

The performances can be viewed at YouTube channels of Musica FEUROPA and the FEU Center for the Arts.

As with previous editions of Musica FEUROPA, participating choirs will perform two pieces: one by a composer from the European Union featuring an official language of any EU member state and one by a Filipino or of Filipino descent composer and featuring any language or dialect from the Philippines.

And true to tradition, there will also be a performance of the Ode to Joy (in German) from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125. This melody also serves as the official anthem of the European Union.

Unfortunately, Mr. Ryan Cayabyab will not be a part of this year's Musica FEUROPA. Hopefully when things get back to normal and the festival returns back to the FEU Auditorium with a live audience, the grand plans with Mr. C will eventually come to fruition. But for now, one can enjoy the performances online at the comfort of his or her own home.

Musica FEUROPA 12 is presented by the Far Eastern University, in partnership with the European Union Delegation in the Philippines, with 98.7 DZFE FM, The Master’s Touch as media partner.

Coro Jesu crowned Musica FEUROPA 11 champs

Coro Jesu, Musica FEUROPA 11 Champion

First time competitors Coro Jesu emerged as champions of Musica FEUROPA 11, choral competition held at the FEU Auditorium.

Coro Jesu

Conducted by Itchie Boy Montilla, the Makati based church choir bested five other finalists in a very much wide open field with no overwhelming favorites heading into the finals. The choir impressed the judges with their renditions Javier Busto and Matías Anton Mena's A Tu Lado, Ily Matthew Maniano's Daluyong, and Saunder Choi's El Vasto Mar, the commissioned competition piece. With this win, Coro Jesu brought home a cash prize of P100,000 and a trophy.

Himig Roseña, 1st Runner Up

Himig Roseña (1st Runner Up) and Salinlahi Serenata Singers (2nd Runner Up) found themselves among the top three after coming up short last year. They won P30,000 and P20,000 respectively as well as trophies.

Salinlahi Serenata Singers, 2nd Runner Up

The finals also marked the world premiere performance of Saunder Choi's El Vasto Mar, the competition piece commissioned for this year. My impression of this flowing work is that the soft repeated motifs in the upper registers at the opening is like a soft breeze skimming the gentle waves of the sea. And as the music thickens to involve more the lower registers, it is like plunging down towards the more turbulent currents beneath the surface. It then heads back to the seemingly calm surface of the sea as the repeated motifs are heard again.

It now remains to be seen if Coro Jesu will be back to defend its title or if Himig Roseña and Salinlahi Serenata Singers will join once again to equal or better their placements next year. How will these new winners fare if ever the past winning choirs join again next year? Well, that is a matter of Musica FEUROPA 12. But for now, I await to see how the choirs fare in other competitions (if they do join them) in the remainder of this year.

15 choirs compete for Musica FEUROPA 11 title

Fifteen choirs from different parts of the country will sing it out for the Musica FEUROPA 11 title this May 25 & 26, 2019 at the FEU Auditorium, Far Eastern University Campus in Manila.

Co-presented by the FEU President's Committee on Culture and the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, Musica FEUROPA is an annual choral competition that aims to promote choral music and literature from the Philippines and the EU member states.

The competition begins on May 25, 2019, 10:00 AM with the Semifinals of the Teen Category. Previously known as the High School Category, this year sees its expansion to the Teen Category allowing for participants up to 19 years of age.

Later in the afternoon at 2:00 PM will be the Open Category Semifinals. The top three finishers from each category will then compete in a single pool at the Finals happening on May 26, 2019, 3:00 PM.

FEU Chorale

Teen Category Semifinalists

Eusebia Paz Arroyo Memorial National High School Youth Choir

Himig Roseña

Salinlahi Serenata Singers

School of the Holy Spirit Chorale

UST SHS Chorale

Open Category Semifinalists

Coro de Manila

Coro Jesu

De La Salle University Chorale

Ganap QCPU

Himig Rizalia

Holy Angel University Chorale

Technological Institute of the Philippines Chorale

The University of Manila Singing Ambassadors

The Voices of Cebu Chorale

Vox Animae

This year also sees the debut of a competition piece with Saunder Choi's El Vasto Mar to be performed by all the choirs making it to the Finals.

This new commissioned work features lyrics in Spanish lifted from Sampaguitas y Poesia Varias by Filipino poet Pedro Paterno. The words describe the stark juxtaposition of the wild waves above and the peaceful waters below of the seas, somehow mirroring the condition of the country during that time. The piece conveys how music serves as a universal language to promote unity, peace, and harmony among different nations.

Musica FEUROPA 11 team

Admission to the competition is free with tickets are available through Ticket2Me, a ticketing app that can be readily accessed through any desktop or mobile devices.

Musica FEUROPA 11 is presented by Far Eastern University through it's President's Committee on Culture, the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, and also by 98.7 DZFE.FM The Master's Touch and the Embassy of Germany.

Boscorale extends dominance of Musica FEUROPA with 7th win

Boscorale, Musica FEUROPA 10 Champion

Boscorale extends its dominating streak, winning the Musica FEUROPA 10 choral competition that was held at the FEU Auditorium.

Conducted by Alvin Paulin, the choir is now 7 out of 7, winning every time that they’ve entered this annual competition jointly presented by the Far Eastern University and the Delegation of theEuropean Union to the Philippines. Ever since the High School Category was included in Musica FEUROPA 3 in 2011, Boscorale has always come out on top in that category except in Musica FEUROPA 5 in 2013 when they opted not to compete. And now, they've made history for being the first champions that competed with both High School and Open Categories.

Boscorale’s win nets the choir the cash prize of P100,000 aside from having another Musica FEUROPA championship trophy to add to their expanding collection. They’ve bested 5 other choirs in the finals that were made up of the top 3 qualifiers from the semifinals of the High School and Open Categories which is part of the new mechanics introduced this year.

Philippine Normal University Chorale, 1^st Runner Up

The Philippine Normal University Chorale emerged as the 1^st Runner Up bagging the P30,000 cash prize and a trophy, while the Minstrels of Hope rounded up the podium with a 2^nd Runner Up finish bringing home P20,000 and a trophy. The three choirs that made it into the finals went home with P10,000 consolation prizes are Himig Roseña, Technological Institute of the Philippines Choral Society, and St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina High School Glee Club.

Minstrels of Hope, 2^nd Runner Up

Showing the swagger that I think has been their signature already, the boys (and a girl to my surprise) of Boscorale delivered a commanding performance of Hinbarra by Michael McGlynn, the required European Union piece and Tangguyob ni Gideon by Eudenice Palaruan, the required Filipino piece. Their second piece climaxed to such an epic finish, a tapestry of richly layered and textured vocals. A slight stumble at the end was not enough to hurt the otherwise extremely strong showing of the overwhelming favorites.

Tutti performance featuring all 6 finalist choirs

I had a few words with Alvin Paulin during the post-competition reception and he said that he was initially scared when he first learned that the finals will have both categories competing against each other. He said that high school choirs do not have the same vocal texture, and level of musicality and maturity compared to that of choirs that are made up of adult members. He also added that their winning record in Musica FEUROPA has served as a motivation for the choir to work harder. But the new rule has definitely made this win a lot harder than in previous years. As for the lone girl member that sparked my curiosity, Paulin informed me that her inclusion to the group was made possible by the Senior High School level in Don Bosco finally open to female students.

Winning conductors Boscorale’s Alvin Paulin, Minstrel of Hope’s Anthony Villanueva,

and Philippine Normal University Chorale’s Luzviminda Modelo

with the Musica FEUROPA organizers and adjudicators

As another Musica FEUROPA ends, I now look forward to the 11^th edition and the start of the competition’s 2^nd decade. Will Boscorale finally be elevated to the Hall of Fame, thus giving the other choirs a fighting chance of winning the title? How much will Brexit and the impending ineligibility of British works affect the competition? And a lingering question of mine has always been, when will I hear a piece in Estonian? Why do I keep on asking when answers could be known in future Musica FEUROPAs. Until then, let’s keep the choral music and singing going.

Musica FEUropa choral competition raises stakes in 10th edition

For the first time in history, choirs from both the High School and Open Categories will sing against each other to bag the championship at the Musica FEUROPA 10, the annual choral festival and competition presented by the Far Eastern University and the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines happening this May 26-27, 2018 at the FEU Auditorium.

Since the inclusion of a separate High School Category during the competition’s 3^rd edition back in 2011, there had been two winners from both the High School and Open categories. For this year, separate semifinals for both categories will still take place with the top three (3) placers from each advancing and will compete in a single field during the finals. You read it right, the six (6) finalists will be a mix of three (3) High School Category choirs and three (3) Open Category choirs all competing for the title.

The choirs competing in the High School Category are Boscorale, Chorus Fortissimus, Dagalak, Himig Rosena, and St. Scholastica’s College Marikina High School Glee Club.

Adamson University Chorale conducted by Darwin Vargas

In the Open Category, the competing choirs are Adamson University Chorale, Bataan Peninsula State University Singers, De La Salle University Chorale, Emilio Aguinaldo College Chorale, Gloria Patri Singers, ICP Charismatic Chorale, MAPUA Cardinal Singers, Minstrels of Hope, Musicalipa, Philippine Normal University Chorale, Salinlahi Serenata Singers, and Technological Institute of the Philippines Chorale Society.

Musica FEUROPA organizers with the Adamson University Chorale

I wonder how Boscorale, with six (6) High School Category wins, the most in any category in Musica FEUROPA’s history, will fare now that it has to compete with the Open Category choirs when they reach the finals. Boscorale’s success in various competitions makes their trip to the finals no longer a question of if but only a matter of when. Instead of the finalists from the High School category being at a disadvantage having to compete with the Open Category choirs, it may even be the other way around as the quality of the younger choirs has been increasing over the years as observed by Festival Chairman Karl Angelo Tangco. And this was his reason for making the finals have choirs from both categories battling it out for the title.

The semifinals for the High School Category happens on May 26, 2018, 10:00 AM, the semifinals for the Open Category happens on May 26, 2018, 1:00 PM. The finals will be on May 27, 2018, 1:00 PM. The competition takes place at the FEU Auditorium.

Holy Angels University, Boscorale bag Musica FEUROPA 7 titles

Congratulations to the Musica FEUROPA 7 Winners!

High School Category

1^st Place Boscorale

2^nd Place UP Rural High School Chorale

3^rd Place St. Scholastica's Academy Marikina High School Glee Club

Open Category

1^st Place Holy Angels University Chorale

2^nd Place UPLB Choral Ensemble

3^rd Place UST Accountancy Chamber Singers

1st Place Open Category Holy Angels University

With the smallest of margins, the Holy Angel University Chorale finally emerged as the Open Category champion of Musica FEUROPA 7, edging out by just six tenths of a point (0.6) the defending champion UPLB Choral Ensemble. Newcomers to the competition, UST Accountancy Chamber Singers placed third, coincidentally also just six tenths of a point behind the second placer.

At the High School Category, Boscorale asserted its dominance by winning their fourth title in five years. This latest victory adds to their wins from 2011, 2012 and 2014. Placing second in this category is UP Rural High School Chorale while St. Scholastica’s Academy, Marikina High School Glee Club got third place.

The competition was indeed very close and after all the Open Category choirs performed, it was difficult to pick out the winner. Honestly, it was far easier for me to pick the choirs whom I think would not place at the top three rather than the other way around. This year, the Open Category became truly open, allowing members of all ages to participate. This resulted in the inclusion of the Quezon City Performing Arts Children's Choir composed of members who are too young to join the High School Category but still competed with the big guns at the Open Category. And they managed to go the distance, not only qualifying for the finals but eventually landing in fourth position, just barely out of the podium.

1st Place High School Category Boscorale

The competition, held over two days at the FEU Auditorium at the Far Eastern University, saw 14 (Second Chronicle Singers, The Templar Singing Ambassadors, ICP Charismatic Chorale, University of Asia and the Pacific Chorale, Philippine Camerata Singers, UST Accountancy Chamber Singers, SJB Chorale, Adamson University Chorale, De La Salle University, The Magnificat Singers, TIP Choral Society, Our Lady of the Pentecost Singers, Quezon City Performing Arts Children's Choir, University of Makati Chorale) entries from the Open Category battle it out for the semis to be among the 8 to join seeded choirs UPLB Choral Ensemble and Holy Angels University at the finals.

The High School Category had 7 (Himig Roseña, UP Rural High School Chorale, Imus Institute Pitch Choir, Benigno Ninoy Aquino High School Chorale, St. Scholastica's Academy Marikina High School Glee Club, Ramon Magsaysay High School Chorale, Boscorale) entries competing for the title.

Musica FEUROPA 7, the only choral competition in the country supported by the European Union, was presented by the Far Eastern University’s President’s Committee on Culture and the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, and is part of the Viva Europa cultural calendar.

Musica FEUROPA IV

Congratulations to the Musica FEUROPA IV Winners!

High School Category

1^st Place Boscorale

2^nd Place Himig Roseña

3^rd Place UPLB Rural High School Glee Club

Open Category

1^st Place University of the Visayas Chorale

2^nd Place Technological Institute of the Philippines Choral Society

3^rd Place Holy Angels University Chorale

1st Place Open Category University of the Visayas Chorale

The University of the Visayas' trip to Manila was all worth it as they bested nine other choirs  during the recently concluded Musica FEUROPA IV, the only European Union sponsored choral competition here in the Philippines. Held at the historic FEU Auditorium at the Far Eastern University campus, the choir from Cebu emerged at the top of the Open Category and bagging the title along with €1,000. Technological Institute of the Philippines Choral Society from the National Capital Region came in second while Pampanga’s Holy Angel University Chorale came in third winning P40,000 and P20,000 respectively as well as trophies.

At the High School Category that happened a day before the Open Category finals, Boscorale from Don Bosco, Makati made it to the top for the second year in a row while Himig Roseña and UPLB Rural High School Glee Club rounded up the top three by placing second and third respectively. Don Bosco won P25,000 while P15,000 and P10,000 were awarded to the other winning choirs aside from trophies.

2nd Place Open Category Technological Institute of the Philippine Choral Society

The absence of two time defending champion, UPLB Chorale Ensemble meant that the 2012 title was up for grabs by the ten choirs that competed for the Open Category. I have to admit that UPLB was a clear standout during last year’s competition and with them not competing, it was a lot harder to predict which choirs would end up on top. The High School Category on the other hand was poised to be a more thrilling competition as the top three choirs from last year battled it out on stage once again. However, a rule violation by the Ramon Magsaysay High School led to their disqualification thus paving the way for Don Bosco to claim the title.

Unfortunately, I was unable to be on the first day of the competition but I managed to catch the second day which was the Open Category Finals. A few of the choirs had opted to wear ethnic/indigenous costumes which looked a bit odd when they performed one of the required pieces which was a song from a composer whose nationality is from the European Union. Since the competition is now on its fourth year, I saw that a lot of choirs took this requirement more seriously compared to the previous competitions when I felt like the choirs devoted a lot more time in practicing the other song requirement, which is any piece composed by a Filipino. Sadly, the level at the Open Category took a slight dive in quality as the absence of several choirs was really felt. I think that Musica FEUROPA this year is in a transitional state and that things will be on the upswing once again next year.

3rd Place Open Category Holy Angels University

The ten choirs that competed at the Open Category were San Antonio de Padua Choir, University of Baguio Voices Chorale, Regina Coeli Choir, En Harmonica, Technological Institute of the Philippines Choral Society, De La Salle University - Dasmariñas Chorale, Holy Angel University Chorale, Vox Amigos, Second Chronicle Singers and University of the Visayas Chorale. The panel of judges was composed of Arwin Tan, Ed Manguiat, Rodolfo Delarmente, Fidel Calalang Jr. and Jonathan Velasco.

Musica FEUROPA 2011 Grand Finals

1st Place Open Category UPLB Chorale Ensemble

Congratulations to the Musica FEUROPA 2011 winners!

High School Category

1^st Place Boscorale

2^nd Place Ramon Magsaysay High School

3^rd Place UPLB Rural High School Choir

Open Category

1^st Place UPLB Chorale Ensemble

2^nd Place The La Salle Chorale

3^rd Place San Antonio de Padua Chamber Choir

Musica FEUROPA, the Far Eastern University-European Union Chorale Competition in the Philippines has indeed gotten bigger and better in its third year of staging this competition.  The semi final round was held on the first day of the competition but I wasn't able to watch it. So I made sure to be present at the grand finals held at the FEU Auditorium the following day. There was a good audience turnout as I got into my seat and there was indeed excitement, anxiety and nervousness inside the auditorium which is what I normally expect whenever there is a competition.

I was able to watch all the choirs perform but I had to leave moments before the winners were announced. And as I was about to leave, I saw a conductor of one of the choirs and congratulated him. He was a bit amused as to why I was already congratulating him since the winners haven’t been announced yet. It was a fearless forecast for me but I was pretty sure that they nailed it. And I was right, it was Vonn Lomarda of the UPLB Chorale Ensemble whom I congratulated and they indeed won first place in the Open Category. They were spectacular last year and this year they raised the standard with their impeccable and very solid choral technique. And I was very pleased by how the two songs they selected were not similar to each other which really showcased their range and diversity. And I really liked the first song that they performed which started with very low bass and haunting chants. The opening was made up of unison parts that showcased the choir's excellent phrasing. And then came the multiple layers of different parts until the resounding climax. And after this was a recapitulation of the haunting chants and I knew right then and there that this was the choir to beat.

In the High School Category, the Boscorale was the standouts and the crowd favorite as well since it was the only all boys choir in the competition. One might think that the lack of female voices would mean a thin sounding choir but that wasn't the case with this group. They were by far the most entertaining and exciting choir to watch in all of the competition. And I guess that it didn't hurt for them to be wearing bow ties with their suits which added some swagger to their performance.

2nd Place Open Category The La Salle Chorale

I noticed that a few of the songs this year were already performed by other choirs last year and I couldn’t help but make a comparison which choir performed them better. More interesting was that there weren’t any song duplicates this year unlike last year when three choirs had the same song. So there was great variety in the songs coming from all the choirs this year.

All the choirs were required to perform two pieces. One had to be a song that was written by a composer whose nationality is rooted in any European Union country. And the other had to be a song written by a Filipino composer and this had no limitations regarding the genre and the language/dialect used. I noted that a lot of the choirs were remarkably weaker with their EU song and their overall performance felt uneven since they were strong with the Filipino song. I guess it’s because they don’t probably have the EU piece in their normal repertoire and only had to learn one for the sake of the competition.

These were just my thoughts and I have no idea if those who judged the competition also thought of these as well. These adjucators by the way were Rodolfo Delarmente, Edgardo Manguiat, Rafael Serrallet, Arwin Tan and Jonathan Velasco.

3rd Place Open Category San Antonio de Padua Chamber Choir

I’ve already seen two stagings of this competition and it seems that next year will continue the growth of this event. This year saw the competition spread into two days and the inclusion of the High School Category. It will be interesting to see how this Musica FEUROPA will continue to grow on its 4th year. All we know so far is that this year’s winners go straight to the finals next year. So the countdown to the 4th Musica FEUROPA now begins.

The 3rd Far Eastern University-European Union Choral Competition in the Philippines announces competing choirs

May 18, 2011, 1:00 PM Semi Finals Open Category

May 19, 2011, 1:00 PM Grand Finals High School and Open Categories

FEU Auditorium

Far Eastern University

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc, Manila

The European Union Choral Competition in the Philippines, now known as Musica FEUROPA, will have its third annual competition this May 18 and 19 at the FEU Auditorium at Far Eastern University. This year's competition, which is a part of the European Union's Viva Europa 2011 celebrations, features five choirs competing in the High School category. In the Open Category (groups that are either university, college, community or church based), twelve choirs will compete in the semi finals to be among the eight advancing to the grand finals. Joining the eight choirs at the grand finals are last year's first prize winner and runner up: UPLB Chorale Ensemble and Tarlac State University Choir respectively.

The semi finals for the Open Category will happen on May 18 while the grand finals for both the High School and Open Categories will take place a day later on May 19. Cash prize worth P25,000 along with a trophy will be awarded to the first prize winner of the High School Category while P60,000 as well as a trophy await the first prize winner of the Open Category. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded also to choirs finishing second and third in both categories.

High School Category (Grand Finalists)

Ramon Magsaysay High School (Manila)

Michael dela Peña, Conductor

St. Paul University High School Glee Club (Makati City)

Jeffrey Buensuceso, Conductor

Boscorale - Don Bosco, Makati (Makati City)

Alvin Paulin, Conductor

Imus Institute Pitch Choir (Cavite)

Warlito Yalung, Conductor

UPLB Rural High School Choir (Laguna)

Marife Rebutar, Conductor

Open Category (Semi-finalists)

UPLB Chorale Ensemble (UPLB) *

Vonn Lomarda, Conductor

Tarlac State University Choir (Tarlac, City) *

Aris Madrid, Conductor

Second Chronicle Singers (Pasay City)

Alan P. Acurantes, Conductor

The La Salle Chorale (Bacolod City)

Serry C. Repique, Conductor

UB Voices Chorale (Baguio City)

Bienvenido Constantino Jr., Conductor

UMAK Chorale (Makati City)

Elsie Eranista, Conductor

First Asia Minstrels (Tanauan City)

Eric Kalaw, Conductor

San Antonio de Padua Chamber Choir (Manila)

Alfie Jacinto, Conductor

Intervoices (Manila)

Mikhael Bryan Caluya, Conductor

University of the Cordilleras (Baguio City)

Walter Mang-usan, Conductor

United Voices Concert Chorus

Martin Antonio, Conductor

TIP Choral Society

Jose Emmanuel Aquino, Conductor

San Felipe Chamber Singers

Ronell Oñate, Conductor

Chorus Vocales

Ranier Aguilar, Conductor

* Finalists

Tickets:

Free admission

For inquiries:

pcc@feu.edu.ph

FEU-PCC Office 736-4897