Friday 29 March 2024 00:33:34 PHT

The Loboc Children's Choir

Tagbilaran, Wednesday, 23 July 2003 (updated: Tuesday, 25 April 2006)

Voices, so pure and angelic, burst through the gathering silence and darkness of the tropical evening as thirty children get together for their daily choir rehearsals.... Most evenings are like this in the

The Loboc Children's Choir
center of the small town of Loboc, the 'Music Town' of the island Province of Bohol, Philippines -- the home of the Loboc Children's Choir.

Founded in 1980, the Loboc Children's Choir is composed of thirty schoolchildren between nine and thirteen years old, who all attend the Loboc Central Elementary School. However, from an ordinary school choir, established to give color to school and community events, this choir has blossomed into one of the most outstanding choirs in the Philippines today. The Loboc Children's Choir became the National Champion in the category of Children's Choirs during the National Music Competitions for Young Artists in 2001. These competitions are the most prestigious music competitions in the Philippines. And not for the first time: they garnered the same First Prize in 1993 and 1995.

In its twenty-three years of existence, the Choir has held concerts all over the country as well as in other parts of the world. In 2000, it represented the country during the International Children's Culture and Arts Festival in Tianjin, China, and held concerts in Beijing and Hong Kong. In 1996, in a concert dubbed, "On Angels' Wings: From Bohol to the World", the choir toured key cities in the United States. It has performed with the World Youth Orchestra during its concerts in Bohol and Cebu in 1999, and with the University of Santo Tomas Symphony Orchestra. As a 'cultural treasure' of the Province, the group often sings for visiting dignitaries, and local and foreign tourists. Its concert repertoire is a combination of classical, folk, modern and children's songs.

Its latest memorable project was its partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the leading art museum in the Philippines, which launched an exhibit on the arts and culture of Bohol. The Choir, under the

In Front of Loboc Church
auspices of the Met and of its leaders led by Trustee Bea Zobel Jr. and Executive Director Ino Manalo, regaled the exhibit launch with a special concert which was followed by a Christmas Concert tour in major business establishments in Makati and Ayala Alabang. This climaxed with a command performance for the Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain in a cultural exchange visit to the Philippines. Another memorable recent project was the highly acclaimed back-to-back concert with the University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors, winner of the prestigious Gran Premio Citta di Arezzo in 2001 during the 49th Concorso Polifonico Internazionale Guido d'Arezzo in Arezzo, Italy. The concert, aptly entitled "An Evening of Heaven's Music", was held in line with the Heritage Conservation Program in the Province of Bohol.

However, the Loboc Children's Choir is not only heard in concert halls or auditoriums, but also in prisons, hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the aged, where its music of hope, love, and joy also find its meaning. It continues to take active part in school, town, and provincial activities.

Alma Fernando-Taldo, Musical Director and Conductor

Ma'am Taldo, as she is fondly called by the children, is a fifth grade teacher of Loboc Central

Ma'am Taldo and Choir
Elementary School, teaching English and Character Education. She received her first music lessons from her paternal grandfather and later from the solfeggio classes that still exist today. She has attended music workshops conducted by renowned Filipino musicians like Ed L. Manguiat of the multi-awarded University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors, who also serves as consultant to the Loboc Children's Choir, Dr. Ramon Santos, Mr. Chino Toledo, Mrs. Andrea Veneracion of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and Dr. Francisco Feliciano. Since its inception, Mrs. Taldo, with sheer talent and selfless dedication, continues to successfully steer the Loboc Children's Choir to where it is today, believing that for as long as the children sing, hope lives.

For more information, please contact:

Lutgardo Labad and Damaris Taldo
Loboc Children's Choir
St. Peter the Apostle Convent
Loboc, Bohol
PHILIPPINES

Telephone: +63 38 537 9022
E-mail: dftaldo@yahoo.com
Cc: la_boholana@excite.com

The Loboc Children’s Choir European Tour

ON ANOTHER FRONT, the nationally renowned children’s choir from Bohol, the Loboc Children’s Choir, will be touring several countries in Europe next month. This mixed choir of youngsters ages 10 to 13, has earned three times the National Champion Prize in the prestigious NAMCYA or the National Musical Competition for Young Artists, first in 1993, then in 1995, and most recently, 2001. The choir is being presented by the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Manila in a series of concert tours in Europe dubbed "TUBO: A Musical Journey for Heritage and Peace."

The children’s choir springs from generations of composers, singers, musicians, and conductors, who have become the driving force behind Lobo town‚s numerous bands, rondallas or comparzas, and choirs.

Under the sustained artistic and mentoring guidance of a team of teachers led by the able maestra or conductor Alma Fernando Taldo, the Children’s Choir in the last seven years has begun to enlarge its mark and artistic mettle by holding concerts locally and internationally. They have performed in the United States, the People’s Republic of China, and Hongkong. Everywhere, whether in their hometown or province or abroad, they have captivated audiences with their unique musicality, endearing and spontaneous showmanship, and the kind of genuine and pure spirit they imbue their singing with. The children, chosen from a yearly audition every June, come from the Loboc Central Elementary School.

The Choir has recently figured in a series of activities in collaboration with the Diocese of Tagbilaran and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila which has selected Bohol as a model partner in developing its art and development programs. According to the Choir public relations artists, exhibits and workshops mounted at the Museum and in Bohol, this collaboration seeks "to develop in concrete terms how arts and culture can be major drivers in the total development of a community.

Major sponsors of the concert tour include the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Beatriz Zobel de Ayala and family, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the provincial government of Bohol, and Imelda O. Cojuangco. Farewell concerts have been held prior to the children’s departure. On September 2, 7 p.m., the children will perform at the Studio at the Riverbank, Marikina, under the sponsorship of the Pinatubo sa Pagkakaisa Foundation

Parts of the proceeds of the September 2nd performance will go to the salaries of teachers at the Wenceslao Village Elementary School at the Wenceslao Village resettlement project in Dau, Lubao, Pampanga.

LCC CD Cover
The Loboc Children's Choir's CD Cover

Tickets will be available at the Studio gate. For more information about this project, call the Metropolitan Museum at tel. 521-1517 and ask for Garby Labad, tour manager, or Ino Manalo, the Museum director.

The Loboc Children's Choir on CD

During its European Tour, the Loboc Children's Choir is selling its latest CD, ...And A Child's Heart Sings. This CD, recorded in the St. Peter the Apostle Church in Loboc, contains a selection of the music performed by the Choir. On the CD are classical, religious, and traditional as well as contemporary music and children's music in a balanced mix.

On the CD are the following tracks:

1. Sitsiritsit arr. Lucio D. San Pedro 2:44
2. Leron Leron Sinta Transcribed 1:59
3. Sa Ugoy ng Duyan L. San Pedro / L. Celerio 4:49
4. Umawit Kang Masaya Lucio D. San Pedro 3:47
5. Ave Maria H. Clemens 2:00
6. Gloria Alleluia (MP3 Sample) Emily Crocker 1:24
7. Cantate Domino Hans Leo Hassler 2:03
8. Praise Ye the Father Charles Gonoud 1:56
9. The Lord's Prayer Malotte 2:17
10. Cantate Domino Kurt Krauspe 1:14
11. Ave Maria Zaide 2:00
12. Ampeu Se-Lo James S. Swu 4:13
13. Panis Angelicus Cesar Franck 3:53
14. When You Wish Upon a Star N. Washington / L. Harline 3:04
15. Lena and Hans Frederic van Norman 2:41
16. Lollipop Tree Darlon / Kleinsinger 2:29
17. Medley of Visayan Folksongs arr. Concordio Fernando 4:14
18. Pobreng Alindahaw arr. C. Fernando / M. Ganade 2:54
19. Make a Song for My Heart to Sing Julie Knowles 1:56

If there is sufficient interest, we can try to make these CD's available for sale on this website as well.

Damaris Taldo & Domini M. Torrevillas

What readers think...

Lynn and Barry James wrote:
Wednesday, 19 July 2023 11:55:03 PHT
We are a New Zealand couple. We will be in Loboc next late January. We LOVE the LCC. Do they still hold weekly rehearsals in Loboc and can we get to hear them somewhere in the Phillipines
John Toomey wrote:
Monday, 21 October 2013 02:14:32 PHT
Your performance in front of the Loboc church after the earthquake was so wonderful! Can you post contact information here so that people can invite you to come to their countries while on tour, and also find out how to help you assist the earthquake victims?
Tom Krauspe wrote:
Saturday, 10 August 2013 05:06:04 PHT
Hello from Germany to Philippines, I want to buy one of this CD. Please tell me how I can. Thank You for contact me! Yours sincerely, Tom Krauspe August 9th 2013
Junbie wrote:
Sunday, 8 January 2012 22:02:27 PHT
I want to see them in here in New York City hope they gonna perform musical concerts here in Broadway.I'm too much proud of it and kindly give us the date and what time to start the concerts
Michael Krauspe wrote:
Friday, 16 September 2011 17:31:46 PHT
Hallo, wo kann man die CD kaufen? (Mit dem Titel von meinem Vater Kurt Krauspe). Herzliche Grüße

Read all 318 comments by readers.

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