The other day, after viewing Ronie's Nieva ( Macrine's second cousin) singing debut on her FaceBook Page triggered pleasant memories of our younger years and singing activities from our UP days -UPSCA Choir ( mid 1950's), Marinduque Of the Capital Area Christmas Carols Group that Macrine organized ( mid 1990's) and the our Church choir activities here in Northern California ( both in Pinole and Fair Oaks) in late 1980's and 2010.
When Macrine and I were students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City (early-1950's), we joined the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action Choir (UPSCA). This was an extracurricular activity that we both loved and enjoyed.
https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/search?q=Upsca+choir
So every time I heard choral music it reminds me of our student and younger days, making me and Macrine feel young again.
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| Our Voice Recital Program with Voice Teacher Minda Azarcon, 1988 |
Macrine and I loved singing in the choir here in Northern California. In the late 1980's, we sang in our church choir on Sunday masses in Pinole, as well as with the UP Alumni, Berkeley Chapter Choir based in El Sobrante, California.
Nine years ago, we sang in our Church Choir here in Fair Oaks. We even sang a duet of Silent Night in Tagalog at the concert before the Christmas midnight mass.
Macrine and I had also organized the Marinduque Association of the Capital Area( MACA) Christmas Caroling Group in Colesville, Maryland in the late 1990's.
Macrine used to be a soloist. She sang soprano coloratura in her younger days. Today her voice is ruined by her cigarette smoking. Her last singing activity was being paid to sing for a friend's wedding in the Philippines as well as here in US.
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| Me singing solo and duet with Macrine at our residence in Silvercrest Street in Pinole, Ca. The bottom photo is view of our backyard and deck with the setting sun in the background hanging over the Pinole hills, 1989 |
I sang baritone, also comfortable with tenor. I could read notes, and took piano lessons, when I was a kid. I have taken only about six months of voice lesson, but did well on my first concert singing "O Solo Mio", an Italian song and Buhat, a Tagalog song. This shows that I am not only a frustrated writer but also a frustrated singer.
Meanwhile enjoy this video from the movie Sister Act with Whoopi Goldberg:
https://youtu.be/ctjG4MjJwEA
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| University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA) Choir, 1953 |
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