If anybody had said last May that the Filipino Voice Symphony (FVS) would bag the first prize in the Pop Choir Ensemble Category of the A Cappella Championships ’10 (Singapore), the statement would have sounded as credible as the competence of the Philippine National Police after the recent hostage-taking incident in Manila. Of course, the analogy may be a bit exaggerated. After all, FVS was just coming off a successful 2-night performance at the Esplanade’s Concourse.
A successful public performance is one thing. But to be judged for one’s performance and to be assessed and compared to other choral groups is another. Worse, many of the old “dependables” from the Esplanade performance were unavailable for the competition slated on the 21st of August. If ever the Filipino Voice Symphony were to take part, it would simply be to gain more confidence from the experience. The thought of winning first prize never crossed anyone’s mind...well, except for Ms. Elsie Eranista. From the beginning, she alone believed that winning the championship was attainable.
Coming from a grizzled veteran of countless choral competitions, Ma’am Elsie’s assessment should have dispelled all doubts. But reasonable creatures that we are, people could not help but wonder about the reason for her faith in the group.
We are talking of a choral group whose core membership barely knew each other for more than a year then. Maybe the reason it is called faith is because such optimism requires no justification. It is an inexplicable belief that the task can be done, the same faith that the wizard Gandalf the Grey (The Fellowship of the Ring) had in the hobbit Frodo Baggins’ chance of destroying the ring that ruled them all. The task had to be done.
Ma’am Elsie trained the group and agreed to conduct FVS for the competition. However, it was not destined to be. By some twist of fate, she could not be in Singapore on the day of the competition.
But who would conduct the group?
The unfolding drama smacked of the J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel’s plot when Gandalf was taken by the ancient demon of fire and shadow into the abyss within the mines of Moira. Just as the fellowship turned to the smallest member of the group to carry out the task, FVS turned to none other than Gladys from the Shire of Las Pinas. On her frail shoulder was thrust the heavy burden of seeing the group through the performance.
And she did.
But credit goes out to the entire group as well, all the men and women (and elves, dwarves and hobbits) who took up the challenge, dared to venture into the unknown and emerged as victors.
Mabuhay kayo FVS! You did all the Filipinos here in Singapore proud.
A successful public performance is one thing. But to be judged for one’s performance and to be assessed and compared to other choral groups is another. Worse, many of the old “dependables” from the Esplanade performance were unavailable for the competition slated on the 21st of August. If ever the Filipino Voice Symphony were to take part, it would simply be to gain more confidence from the experience. The thought of winning first prize never crossed anyone’s mind...well, except for Ms. Elsie Eranista. From the beginning, she alone believed that winning the championship was attainable.
Coming from a grizzled veteran of countless choral competitions, Ma’am Elsie’s assessment should have dispelled all doubts. But reasonable creatures that we are, people could not help but wonder about the reason for her faith in the group.
We are talking of a choral group whose core membership barely knew each other for more than a year then. Maybe the reason it is called faith is because such optimism requires no justification. It is an inexplicable belief that the task can be done, the same faith that the wizard Gandalf the Grey (The Fellowship of the Ring) had in the hobbit Frodo Baggins’ chance of destroying the ring that ruled them all. The task had to be done.
Ma’am Elsie trained the group and agreed to conduct FVS for the competition. However, it was not destined to be. By some twist of fate, she could not be in Singapore on the day of the competition.
But who would conduct the group?
The unfolding drama smacked of the J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel’s plot when Gandalf was taken by the ancient demon of fire and shadow into the abyss within the mines of Moira. Just as the fellowship turned to the smallest member of the group to carry out the task, FVS turned to none other than Gladys from the Shire of Las Pinas. On her frail shoulder was thrust the heavy burden of seeing the group through the performance.
And she did.
But credit goes out to the entire group as well, all the men and women (and elves, dwarves and hobbits) who took up the challenge, dared to venture into the unknown and emerged as victors.
Mabuhay kayo FVS! You did all the Filipinos here in Singapore proud.