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The choral music of Filipino composers will take centre stage this weekend at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Winnipeg’s West End. The Musica Singers and Polycoro, alongside choirs from Garden City Collegiate and Maples Collegiate, present a concert called Paraiso with pieces by Nilo Alcala, Saunder Choi, and Ruben Federizon, among others.
“We have done some Filipino pieces in the past,” says Polycoro conductor Scott Reimer, “but never a concert devoted to showcasing all the great stuff that has come out of that culture.”
While the repertoire might represent new territory for Polycoro to some degree, the music is home for the Musica Singers, whose membership consists largely of members from the Filipino community. Even with their familiarity, the vast spread of music from the Philippines means that audiences and performers alike will encounter new musical languages and repertoire from throughout the nation’s many islands.
“It’s a bit eclectic,” says Oscar Pantaleon, Jr., conductor of the Musica Singers. “We’ll be showcasing some chants from the highlands, some folk tunes from the southern parts of the Philippines, and even more popular songs.”
Given the wide range of repertoire, the ensembles have thrown themselves into understanding the unique characteristics of each piece, working with diction coaches and Filipino artists to make sure that they are doing each individual piece justice in its language and context. “It’s obviously so important to do the work to make sure that you do what you need to in terms of the text, because it’s the text that’s so imortant,” says Reimer. “It’s the text that we have as choral musicians or vocal musicians at our fingertips to tell these stories, which is so important to do it justice, to do it properly.”
“Sharing our music makes us feel seen and heard, literally and figuratively,” adds Pantaleon, Jr., adding that collaborations like this are great ways to help to ensure the visibility of music from the Philippines. “We also do collaborations with other cultural organizations so that we have an exchange of ideas and experiences which brings us closer together as a community.”
Paraiso takes the stage at 3 p.m. on May 25 at Lutheran Church of the Cross. Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-can basis. Patrons can acquire their tickets through Polycoro’s website.