The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The angelic sounds of the Christmas season are coming earlier than usual this year when the world-famous Vienna Boys Choir performs in a one-night-only concert, titled The Vienna Boys Choir Live in Manila, at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall in Pasay City on November 11 at 8 p.m.
This concert comes 12 years after the Vienna Boys Choir last performed in Manila. Its newest concert in Manila is the last stop of the choir’s 2016 Asian Tour, which saw sold-out shows in Beijing and Shanghai in China; Hong Kong; Singapore; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Taiwan.
Considered as one of the oldest existing choirs in the world—with over 500 years of history behind it—and best known for their sopranos and altos who are between 10 and 14 years old, members of the Vienna Boys Choir come from the Austrian states of Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Styria; as well as other countries, such as Canada, China, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the Philippines.
The members are divided into four subgroups or touring choirs that are named after the famous Austrian composers associated with the choir’s history: Anton Bruckner, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Franz Schubert. Performing in this year’s Asian tour is the Bruckner choir.
The choir is expected to perform 22 songs in a repertoire that includes classical compositions by Antonio Vivaldi, Schubert, Gioachino Rossini and Johann Strauss, as well as pop songs. All are perfectly chosen to match the boys’ voices and personalities.
Manolo Cagnin, the leader of this choir, considers it important to communicate the boys’ vocal talents to the audience.
“Music is a gift. As musicians, we have the obligation to share that gift with our audience,” he said.
The choir will be flown in by Philippine Airlines, and stay in the newly opened Conrad Manila hotel, which will serve as its official residence in the metropolis.
“Filipino audiences will surely be delighted to experience the choir’s world-class talent. Their magical renditions will surely make Christmas more joyful. It gives us so much pleasure to [give] an inspired stay at Conrad Manila to the Vienna Boys Choir at this time of their world performance tour,” said Harald Feurstein, the Austrian general manager of Conrad Manila.
For his part, Austrian Ambassador to Manila Dr. Josef Müllner told the concert organizers that “the best of Austria will be coming to Manila on our 70th year anniversary of Austria-Philippines relations.”
The Vienna Boys Choir Live in Manila is a non-profit charity event of the Alumni Association of Xavier School for the benefit of the Fr. Tritz ERDA Tech School and the health fund for retired teachers of Xavier School. TMM
For tickets, call Ticketworld at (632) 891-9999.