Malaybalay holds choral festival

Fourteen choral groups belted out in the 4th Malaybalay Choral Festival on November 17, 2008 at the Bukidnon State University Gymnasium.

Dubbed "Voices in Colors", the festival gathered chorals from different organizations in Bukidnon's capital city, including a big contingent from Valencia City's Mountain View College.

BSU, the City Government of Malaybalay, and Bethel Baptish Church were identified as the sponsors of the festival organized annually by the Malaybalay Choral Directors'Guild (MCDG).

The participating groups are the following (in order of performance)

Malaybalay City Engineers'Men's Choir
BSU Children's Choir
BBCA Children's Choir
Malaybalay Senior Citizens' Choir
BNHS' Lagong Ta Bukidnon Choir" "
BBC Youth Choir
Berian Baptist Church Choir
Mountain View College Singing Ambassadors
BBC Quartet
Malayba;ay City Budget Choir
MVC Son and Daughters Chorale Arts
BSU Chorale
MVC Hilltop Chorale
MVC Advent Philomels

Among the highest points in the three-hour show include the Senior Citizen's rendition of Ed Parungao's Matud Nila. The announcer said: Ïndeed age doesn't matter in music".

Another high point was the BBC Choir's performance of Ryan Cayabyab's "Paraiso".

Then came also Mountain View College Singing Ambassadors'You'd better Run' performance, which was engaging and met with loud applause.

MVC's Sons and Daughters Choral Arts also came up with a lively and choreographed performance of Anna Abelada's Galawgaw.

The crowd's favorite, however, was Bukidnon State University Chorale's "Äti" composed by Peter Macrohon jointly with BSU. It received the most number of cheers and loudest claps for its ethnic, unique and jubilant music.

Mercibelle B. Abejuela, BSU's conductor, said that was the first time the piece was performed in Bukidnon.

The night ended with a grand tutti featuring Abba's Thank you for the music. All group's sang in the finale.

Abejuela said earlier the idea of a festival emanated from the directors' quest to improve music together rather than prepare for the stiff competitions that tired most of them in the past years.