From Valencia to Mani la, the Cantollano continues to radiate

An invitation arrived for a Cantollano Chamber Choir concert in Intramuros, Manila. My immediate reaction: So sorry, bless my ignorance, but I have never heard of the group. And given the dismal weather for the past couple of weeks, there was no reason to abandon my home.

Upon further reading, I soon learned they hailed from Valencia, Spain, where my sister Anafe has resided for half a century. I quickly reached out to her son, my nephew Alfonso, to inquire if he had heard of the group.

“Due to conflicts with football games, I have never watched them. But my friends who have seen them had nothing but good things to say!” he exclaimed.

Before the big day, I realized the team was old friends of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, for they have so much in common. That piqued my curiosity. That was good enough for me. I decided to accept the invite — and I was certainly glad I did!

The venue was the Centro de Turismo, housed in the old historic San Ignacio Church in Intramuros — a desired ideal site for a chamber choir.

The Cantollano was formed in 1992, and their numbers grew through the years.

All the members reside in Valencia, and today, they rehearse twice a week. A few are musicians. Some are simply choral music aficionados who find joy in singing.

In the past, within the provincia de Valencia, the Cantollano collaborated with the Sociedad Musical Santa Cecilia Chamber Orchestra in Guadassuar for performances of Haydn’s Missa Brevis in F major and Pergolesi’s Magnificat. They later teamed up with the Cuenca Philharmonic Orchestra and the Alonso Lobo Chamber Choir on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

In time, the chorale has cooperated with contemporary composers, presented world premieres and staged charity concerts for organizations such as SOS Refugiados, the Spanish Red Cross, Delwende and Cáritas Diocesana.

For the much-awaited Manila performance, the program covered medieval music to Renaissance and Baroque pieces, before it returned to more familiar songs. They made a striking first impression with the haunting Judici signum (Cant de la Sibil·la), followed by compositions of Francisco Guerrero, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Juan Arañés.

The latter part of the show brought in the classic “Manila” by Los Panchos, the rearranged ballad “Al Alba” by Luis Eduardo Aute, the beloved “Bésame Mucho” by Consuelo Velasquez, and the jazz hit “I Got Rhythm” by Goerge and Ira Gershwin. Other tunes ensued, to include the heartwarming “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” Morten Lauridsen’s Sure “On This Shining Night” and the Valencian lullaby, “Mareta, mareta.”

The ensemble proper ended with three zarzuela selections — Mazurka de las sombrillas, Coro de románticos and Seguidillas.

The ladies were clad in flowing white long gowns, while the gentlemen were in khaki pants and white shirts. But the velada was far from plain. They brought out mantones de Manila, parasols, berets, abanicos and castañuelas — castanets for you and me — they were in full gear!

We would be remiss not to mention the individual who made the evening more of a success.

Leading the choir was Asunción Blom-Dahl, who began her musical studies with her mother. She later graduated with first-class honors from the Joaquín Rodrigo Higher Conservatoire of Music in Valencia and eventually became a piano teacher at the Valencia Professional Conservatory of Music.

Then came the encore.

Due to the “-ber” months, they sang Ryan Cayabyab’s “Kumukutikutitap” — not too easy and a delicious tongue-twister to the unaccustomed. They continued to sing without missing a beat amid wide smiles, as they tried to enunciate the Filipino words — everyone had a codigo!

The audience was thrilled — over the moon, as my British pals would say. It felt like good friends having a great, wonderful time together. The mood was infectious. Everyone was in a jolly mood!

The most enthusiastic audience was the several generations of the Madrigal Singers and their friends. They were cheering, shouting, and even jeering at times. The atmosphere was almost like a pop concert! I could definitely feel the friendship between the two choirs.

As I left the old San Ignacio Church, I had to agree with my nephew Alfonso — he was right after all.

¡Enhorabuena, Cantollano Chamber Choir!