Mandaue Children’s Choir performs during the Priests of Cebu in Concert at the IEC Pavilion. (CDN PHOPTO/SAMMY NAVAJA)
Music and faith were rolled into one as 400 priests in Cebu sang their hearts out in a concert organized by the local Church in preparation for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in January next year.
About 3,000 people trooped to the newly-consecrated Eucharistic Pavilion in Mabolo, Cebu City on Thursday evening to witness their respective parish priests and other members of the clergy perform on stage.
Two other shows were also held at the Pavilion yesterday, less than a week after it was opened to the public.
At least 28 liturgical hymns and classical Cebuano and English songs were sung during the concert which also featured the diocesan seminarians, the grand choirs of the Basilica del Santo Niño and the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral as well as the renowned Mandaue Children’s Choir.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma was elated by the success of the concert.
Fr. Jonas Mejares, singing with the Cathedral and Sto. Nino choirs was the most applauded during the Priests of Cebu in Concert at the Pavilion. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
“I’m very happy with the performance of the artists, the various choirs, and, of course, our priests. We put a lot of effort to be able to come up with this performance,” he told reporters after the first show.
Palma performed during the concert but preferred to join the group singing.
The prelate said singing is not his forte but he needs to do it to praise God. It’s also his way of showing support to all priest-performers.
“The songs are beautiful. Through them, we appreciate the Eucharist. They give importance to the Eucharist,” Palma said.
The brainchild of Cebu’s archbishop, “400 Priests of Cebu in Concert: Faith, Love, and Songs” was created to help raise funds for the IEC and to assess the lights and sounds of the Pavilion.
The Pavilion will serve as the main venue for the IEC, which is expected to gather at least 15,000 delegates from different parts of the world on Jan. 24 to 31, 2016.
Aside from Palma, the two Cebu auxiliary bishops—Dennis Villarojo and Oscar Florencio—also sang during the concert.
Garbed in white clerical shirts, the priests stood side by side with the seminarians on a huge stage inside the Pavilion when the concert started.
Priests of Cebu in Priests were having fun during the concert. (CDN PHOPTO/SAMMY NAVAJA)
They sang Albert Hay Malotte’s version of the Lord’s Prayer before the group and the different choirs chanted 10 different renditions of the Ave Maria (Hail Mary).
After the series of songs in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the priests and the choirs sang the “Glory Be to the Father…” by Msgr. Rodolfo Villanueva.
Then, the San Carlos Seminary College special choir sang “Magandang Pilipinas,” “Usahay,” and “Sa Kabukiran” with the special participation of singer Girlie Lapinid-Las Piñas who sang “Kanunay.”
The conglomeration of the basilica and cathedral grand choirs, under the direction of Joshua Montayre, wowed the audience especially when Fr. Jonas Mejares, the singing Augustinian priest and composer, took center stage.
Mejares’ rendition of “This is the Moment” drew the loudest applause and cheers from the audience.
The renowned Mandaue Children’s Choir, under the baton of Maestro Dennis Sugarol, captured the hearts of the crowd as they sang “Tears In Heaven,” “Together We Can Change the World,” and “Light of a Million Mornings.”
The clergy then sang Louis Lambillotte’s “Panis Angelicus” (Bread of Angels) and Lorenzo Perosi’s “O Salutaris Hostia” (O Saving Host) in honor of the Eucharist, before they serenaded the audience with a medley of Cebuano songs.
The clergy and all the choirs capped the presentations by singing Msgr. Rudy Villanueva’s “He who eats my bread” with lead singer Jay-arr Librando, the composer of the IEC theme song.
The concert was under the direction of renowned composer and musician, Msgr. Villanueva. The over-all music conductor was Fr. Benedicto Tao, rector of the San Carlos Seminary College in Cebu City.
Tickets were sold at P1,000, P500, and P300.