Coro San Benildo (Coro), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s highly-lauded resident chorale, performed their Harmony of Hearts and Voices 7 concert entitled “Remember When,” at The College’s School of Design and Arts Theater on the evening of February 5.
In what was the first time the annual production incorporated a story in the production, the musical centered around remembering the joys and pains of high school life.
Throwing it back
According to Soprano 2 member and AB-CDA student Nikki Oclares, the theme of “Remember When” was chosen by the concerted creative direction of Coro’s members and reflected their desire to recall high school’s fondest moments and share it with the community. “We wanted the audience to feel their high school lives once again. We wanted to help people remember the day-to-day basis of life in high school, being gathered up in the mediocrity of school work, and the classmates and teachers that made [the experience] particularly special.”
Under the masterful tutelage of Choirmaster Lorenzo Gealogo, the performance began with the creative use of a flash mob to call its members onstage and featured theatricals depicting several familiar high school-isms —from enrolling into a new school to the ubiquitous junior-senior prom and the personalities that made them worthwhile. “We decided to put a twist in our performance by adding a story to make it more lively, interesting, and interactive for our audience,” said Tenor 1 and AB-MMA student Clarence Gomez.
The performance was a charming ode to the friendships made back then, to “knowing people for four years which seemed so long then, only to know that eventually you’ll have to part ways and see them once again in uncertainty,” said Oclares.
At the end of the performance, Gealogo made the customary rounds among the audience, inviting certain volunteers to share how the concert and its theme impacted them by asking different ones to share their most memorable high school experience and a short impromptu song with the community.
A record of distinction
Balancing vocal practice with academics, Coro members retain a rigorous rehearsal schedule for training. In preparation for their concerts, members rehearse thrice a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm, with supplementary sessions whenever needed. Nevertheless, such dedication has paid off, launching Coro San Benildo into the international spotlight on numerous occasions. The group has brought back several awards from both local and international competitions, one such victory was winning eight medals, including one gold, when they competed in the 54th Seghizzi International Choral Singing competition in Gorizia, Italy last July 2015 —more information can be found at http://old.thebenildean.org//2015/09/coro-san-benildo-a-finalist-in-27th-grand-prix-seghizzi/.
Photo by Sace Natividad
