LobocChoir

A Child's Heart Sings--Loboc Children's Choir

Written by May T. Mediano

May 19, 2008

The angel's voices burst through the gathering silence as they slowly walked along the aisles of the UC Riverside Auditorium towards the stage singing songs of church heritage and worship. They sang the Ave Maria, Salve Regina, Canticorum Jubilo to name a few. Their voices, so pure and angelic make you think you're in a miraculous state of existence, or perhaps in a different state of mind. You wonder where these voices would have come from, so pure and childlike.

The voices are of the Loboc Children's Choir performing at the University of California, Riverside, last April 25, 2008. Founded in 1980, they are a "cultural treasure" from the town of Loboc, Bohol, renowned in its long history of creative culture in the realm of music. Loboc prides itself of a generation of musicians and composers. Through the centuries starting from the Spanish colonial period, Loboc has thrived on rondallas, musical bands, adult choirs, and brass symphonic ensemble. The Loboc Children's choir, all thirty of them, ranging from ages nine to thirteen perform a repertoire of children's songs, classical, folk, and modern. They sing to foreign dignitaries, VIPs, and tourists. They have been invited to sing and compete in various cities around the globe promoting cultural talent in Vienna, Barcelona, Beijing, HongKong, Canada, and the US. They were granted an audience and performed before Her Majesty, Queen Sofia of Spain during a cultural visit to the Philippines.

With great adulation and admiration from an overwhelming audience at their recent concert in UC Riverside, they bring their music a multitude of hope, love, and joy to the many people who are touched and have found meaning through the sound of their heavenly voices. As they ended the night with their finale, "Light of a Million Mornings", it struck a chord for these beautiful children who are the instruments of light and joy to the many mornings to come. Indeed, they are a great cultural treasure to the town of Loboc, also called the "Music Town" of the island province of Bohol.