Memories have a way of casting beautiful shadows. I remember the time I first heard a semblance of heaven: it was a darkened seat somewhere in the acoustic cocoon of Silliman University's Luce Auditorium. There they were, these bunch of talented choristers, surrounding the audience, taking up every nook and cranny, every step and level of the auditorium house, rendering a powerful blend of the folk song "Iddem-dem Mallida." The effect was tremendous, like being drowned in a beautiful song, like being lifted up then sent up and then sent down again by the sheer force of melody and the harmony. This choir forces you to take notice, lend a graceful ear, and by the fading of the last note, compel you to stand up and clap more. They always bring the house down, and has staged successful concerts here and there, but even more so, they have earned the honest respect of the most discriminating music lover. Yet once inside the privileged group, you see none but ordinary people leading the everyday life.
The Campus Choristers, a performing group directly under the Silliman University School of Music and Fine Arts, has its roots way back in the 1950s. Then, Prof. Priscilla Magdamo decided to gather together a group of campus kids willing to sing for church activities (particularly to raise money for a new pew of the Silliman Church). Since then, the choir was slowly evolved into the musical phenomenon it has become. It has been designated by both Silliman and the Philippines as their Ambassador of Goodwill. The choir, as a frequent regional champion, is always a part of the annual National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA).
During the NAMCYA Festival in Iloilo in 1991, musicologists fro
m all over Asia commended it for good tones, articulation and professionalism on stage. Among its concerts and performances include Kahunihayan I in 1992, Silliman Performs with Priscilla Magdamo and Kahunihayan II in 1993 (that year they also sang in a special convocation for President Fidel V. Ramos who was being presented as an Honoris Causa). In 1994, they embarked on a Mindanao tour, and also took part in the Luce Auditorium production of Joseph the Dreamer, as well as with another Silliman Performs concert.It was in 1995, it had another Mindanao tour entitled Verite. 1995 was when they had and inspirational concert titled For His Glory. There was A Night of Original Pilipino Music in 1997, as well as Huni. In 1998, they presented Christmas Carols in Bacolod, and then, with Yari, they toured Cebu and Mindanao (again). There was also Tutti, a concert for a cause, Sariling Awit, an evening of songs from the Philippine countryside, and Spectrum. They were also invited to serenade the former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during a visit to Dumaguete's Habitat project. Handog was their first concert in 1999, and they were also a part in the Luce production of The Sound of Music last February.
The Silliman University Campus Choristers has come a long way from a choir inspired by the church pew, but this is just the beginning. There is a promise of more to come. (I.F. Casocot)
