Loboc Children's Choir
Encyclopedia
The Loboc Children's Choir or LCC is a school-based choir composed of thirty schoolchildren of the Loboc Central Elementary School, in Loboc, Bohol
, Philippines
. The children are between the ages of nine and thirteen years old. The Choir has held concerts all over the Philippines
and abroad. It plays an active part in school, town, and provincial
activities.
. It is a school choir established to give color to school and community events. In 1993, it won first prize at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists. It was awarded first prize again in the same competition in 1995.
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 the latter's 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.
and Hong Kong
.
It 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.
A notable 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 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 City
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.
The group also performed in a 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, entitled An Evening of Heaven's Music, was held in line with the Heritage Conservation Program in the Province of Bohol
.
The Choir also 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. On September 2, 2003, the children performed at the Studio at the Riverbank, Marikina City
, under the sponsorship of the Pinatubo sa Pagkakaisa Foundation.
Parts of the proceeds of the September 2, 2003 performance went to the salaries of teachers at the Wenceslao Village Elementary School at the Wenceslao Village resettlement project in Dau, Lubao, Pampanga
.
The Choir garnered two major awards at the Europe and its Songs 6th International Folksong Choir Festival, held in Barcelona, Spain, from September 17 to 21, 2003.
The LCC rated 97.5 points which earned it the First prize with a Gold Medal in the Children's Choir category. The international jury likewise awarded the Loboc Children's Choir the Europe and its Songs 2003 Cup for having achieved the overall highest mark in all categories, surpassing the marks of twelve other international choirs.
The LCC was composed of 26 children ages 10 to 13 from the Loboc Central Elementary School.
The tour was financed by a consortium of grants facilitated under the auspices of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, including Philippine embassies and consulates in the countries involved.
To prepare herself as a choral conductor, she attended workshops and master class
es from known Filipino conductors such as Edgardo Manguiat of the University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors (UPSA), Ramon Santos, Chino Toledo, Andrea Veneracion
of the Philippine Madrigal Singers or MADZ and Francisco Feliciano. Edgardo Manguiat also acts as a consultant to the choir.
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The children are between the ages of nine and thirteen years old. The Choir has held concerts all over the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and abroad. It plays an active part in school, town, and provincial
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
activities.
Early history
The Loboc Children's Choir was founded in 1980 at the Loboc Central Elementary School in Loboc, BoholLoboc, Bohol
Loboc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is mere 24 km away from Tagbilaran City, the provincial capital of Bohol. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 16,299 people. It is the Music Capital of Bohol....
. It is a school choir established to give color to school and community events. In 1993, it won first prize at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists. It was awarded first prize again in the same competition in 1995.
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 the latter's concerts in Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
and Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
in 1999, and with the University of Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
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.
Recent history
In 2000, it represented the country during the International Children's Culture and Arts Festival in Tianjin, China, and held concerts in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
It 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.
A notable project was its partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Metropolitan Museum of Manila
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is a museum located within the complex of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas along Roxas Boulevard in Manila, the Philippines...
, the leading art museum in the Philippines, which launched an exhibit on the arts and culture of Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
. The Choir, under the 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 City
Makati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
and Ayala Alabang. This climaxed with a command performance for the Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
in a cultural exchange visit to the Philippines.
The group also performed in a 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, entitled An Evening of Heaven's Music, was held in line with the Heritage Conservation Program in the Province of Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
.
The Choir also figured in a series of activities in collaboration with the Diocese of Tagbilaran and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Metropolitan Museum of Manila
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is a museum located within the complex of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas along Roxas Boulevard in Manila, the Philippines...
which has selected Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
as a model partner in developing its art and development programs. On September 2, 2003, the children performed at the Studio at the Riverbank, Marikina City
Marikina City
Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence and one of the sixteen cities within the Manila Metropolitan Area. Marikina is part of Eastern Manila District of...
, under the sponsorship of the Pinatubo sa Pagkakaisa Foundation.
Parts of the proceeds of the September 2, 2003 performance went to the salaries of teachers at the Wenceslao Village Elementary School at the Wenceslao Village resettlement project in Dau, Lubao, Pampanga
Lubao, Pampanga
Lubao is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 143,058 people in 23,446 households...
.
European concert tour
In 2003, the choir was presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in a series of concert tours in Europe dubbed "TUBO: A Musical Journey for Heritage and Peace."The Choir garnered two major awards at the Europe and its Songs 6th International Folksong Choir Festival, held in Barcelona, Spain, from September 17 to 21, 2003.
The LCC rated 97.5 points which earned it the First prize with a Gold Medal in the Children's Choir category. The international jury likewise awarded the Loboc Children's Choir the Europe and its Songs 2003 Cup for having achieved the overall highest mark in all categories, surpassing the marks of twelve other international choirs.
The LCC was composed of 26 children ages 10 to 13 from the Loboc Central Elementary School.
The tour was financed by a consortium of grants facilitated under the auspices of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, including Philippine embassies and consulates in the countries involved.
Awards
- National Musical Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA)
- National Champion Prize, 1993
- National Champion Prize, 1995
- National Champion Prize, 2001
- Europe and its Songs Festival 2003 - Barcelona, Spain, September 17–21, 2003
- First prize with a Gold Medal in the Children's Choir category
- The Europe and its Songs 2003 Cup - for having achieved the overall highest mark in all categories, surpassing the marks of twelve other international choirs
Musical director and conductor
The choir's current conductor, Alma Fernando-Taldo or "Ma'am Taldo", teaches at the Loboc Elementary School, handling English and Character Education for fifth-grade students. Her first musical education was provided by her paternal grandfather; she later took solfeggio classes.To prepare herself as a choral conductor, she attended workshops and master class
Master class
A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts....
es from known Filipino conductors such as Edgardo Manguiat of the University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors (UPSA), Ramon Santos, Chino Toledo, Andrea Veneracion
Andrea Veneracion
Andrea Ofilada Veneracion , is a Filipino choral conductor and a recipient of the 1999 National Artist for Music award. She founded the Philippine Madrigal Singers in 1963...
of the Philippine Madrigal Singers or MADZ and Francisco Feliciano. Edgardo Manguiat also acts as a consultant to the choir.
Albums
During its European Tour, the Loboc Children's Choir is selling its latest CD, Loboc Children's Choir...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.External links
- Loboc Children's Choir - Official website (may contain out-of-date information)
- Loboc Children's Choir - write-up
- ChoralNet - directory of choirs, from ChoralNet (a project site of the International Federation of Choral Music)
- Childrens' Choir - list of winners under this category at the NAMCYA