Mother’s Day serenade

As Mother’s Day draws near, the Goldenberg Mansion came alive with melodies speaking not just of music, but of memories, motherhood and enduring love.

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former First Lady Imelda Marcos on Friday led the “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” a heart-stirring concert that celebrated the women who shape lives in silence, with lullabies instead of speeches, with love instead of applause.

Inside the historic hall, the audience wasn’t just listening to music — they were witnessing a deeply personal tribute.

Part of the Goldenberg Concert Series organized by the Social Secretary’s Office, the event blossomed into a moving celebration of a maternal bond spanning generations.

Sitting beside each other, the two First Ladies embodied different eras but echoed the same truth: that motherhood, in all its forms, leaves a lasting legacy.

In past interviews, Liza shared how her children lovingly call her “mother smother,” a nickname that reveals both their affection and her tendency to over-care.

The music reflected that warmth.

Pianist Rudolf Golez, who began playing under his mother’s guidance at age four, led an ensemble of acclaimed Filipino musicians in a suite that moved from the gentle strains of Brahms’ “A Suite of Lullabies” to the deeply nostalgic “Songs My Mother Taught Me” by Dvořák.

Filipino folk tunes followed — “Si Nanay, Si Tatay Di Co Babayaan,” “Ili-ili Tulog Anay,” and the soul-stirring “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” played on clarinet and French horn, moving many in the crowd to tears.

Joining Golez were violinist Sara Maria Gonzales, concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra and a decorated alumna of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists; Alfonso Encina, a violinist and music educator from Leyte; Charmers Bersaba, a rising violist and international music competition winner; Clartrome Jacalan, a prize-winning cellist from Cagayan de Oro; Randolf Lopez, principal clarinetist of the MSO and a fixture in the Philippine band scene; and Michael Estrella, the French horn principal of the MSO and a decorated soloist in both classical and band circles.

But the evening wasn’t solely about reverence. In a surprise twist, the familiar riff of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine” burst forth — on violin.

From there, the ensemble shifted to “Africa” by Toto and “Take On Me” by A-ha, reimagined for strings and woodwinds.

What started as a classical tribute turned into a genre-blending celebration that had the audience cheering, laughing, and even crying — often all at once.

During the 95th birthday of his mother Imelda, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told how she as a mother and a grandmother taught him and her grandchildren to be gracious, kind, and compassionate.

As the final encore faded into the cool May evening, the First Ladies and the audience offered up their applause with visible warmth.