Singing peace stories

THE story began at Wattay Airport (Vientiane, Laos) where I met Johann Veronica, the third secretary in the Embassy of the Republic of Philippines in Kuala Lumpur on October 2.

Johann told me her Ambassador would be visiting Kuching later in the month and I requested for an exclusive press interview.

Johann came back with the email bearing good news of the gracious acceptance by the Ambassador, and added that His Excellency would like to drop by our office. What an honour! And such humility on the part of the Ambassador.

“Am I the first Ambassador to visit your news room?” he enquired.

Certainly he is -- with the American Ambassador Datuk Paul Jones unable to make it because of a last-minute change in his schedule when he was here in July for the Peace Corps Exhibition which the US Embassy in Malaysia collaborated with The Borneo Post.

Eduardo Malaya, the Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia, remarked with good humour: “Now I can tell Paul Jones I have done something ahead of him here in Sarawak.”

Next, he said he is destined to serve in Malaysia given that his surname is Malaya which means “freedom” in filipino (national language of the Philippines).

He certainly takes great pride in what he has achieved. Within a year of his service in Malaysia, the Framework Agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was signed in the quest of peace -- with Malaysia playing a pivotal role -- to end more than four decades of violence.

“For an Ambassador, it’s like a crowning glory in one’s career,” he said.

So, the Ambassador brought the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC) to Malaysia for a Celebration of Peace with three performances -- two in Kuala Lumpur and one in Kuching in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Kuching.

“It’s a tribute to the Philippines’ warm friendship and abiding partnership with Malaysia as well as all others who have been our partners in the peace-making process,” he added.

To put the concert to order in UPCC’s third performance in Kuching, the chior made every Sarawakian heart and soul skip a beat and swell with national pride with their opening piece – our very own national anthem – Negaraku. Then, Filipino patriotism resonated in the air when the choir sang their own national anthem -- Lupang Hinirang, translated as Land Of The Morning.

What followed from De Profundis (Out of the depths) to the finale of the first part of the choir’s performance, the Metropop medley of various songs from Metro Manila popular music festival and the music and dances of UPCC, transcended physical, cultural and language boundaries.

Indeed, UPCC shows how the gift of music heals divisions, promotes peace and unites peoples.

From the intense invocation to God by a priest for the safety of his people to strength of the people to withstand destructive forces that bring chaos and destroy the unity of the people and ultimately, the restoration of peace, it was expressed through the rhythm of music, voices and movements of the choir members in Gabaqan.

In another of their moving repertoire, Ilay Gandangan, UPCC members transported the au-dience to a dark period with a god in wrath of the sins, committed by a tribe in Mindanao, followed by a period of repentance with the performance of rituals for forgiveness, and finally, renewal with the return of the god to shine on the land again.

The ethos of these soul-searching presentations was profoundly expressed through the music, songs and dances, and felt by most of the audience even though they did not understand the language in which they were presented.

As the Ambassador himself has aptly said, when it comes to singing, leave it to the Filipinos.

The singers have sung their songs, and the Ambassador, instrumental in bringing the dawn of peace to Mindanao, has played beautiful scores on the piano keyboard but much work remains to be done to turn the Framework Agreement into a final and enduring peace pact.

Pulling at my heartstrings is this one particular song -- Sing me to heaven -- commissioned by a community chamber choir in a northern Virginia suburb of Washington.

The director wanted something that “speaks to the way that we, as singers, feel about music in our lives.”

The composer Daniel Gawthrop approached a poet, Jane Garnier, who noted that there are times in our lives when only music can comfort us as portrayed so appropriately by the lines that follow: When I need comfort, sing me a lullaby. When I am in love, sing me a love song. When I lose someone, sing me a requiem, sing me to heaven.

So Jane Garnier wrote this piece: In my heart’s sequestered chambers lie truths stripped of poets’ gloss. Words alone are vain and vacant, and my heart is mute. In response to aching silence, memory summons half-heard voices. And my soul finds primal eloquence, and wraps me in song. If you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby. If you would win my heart, sing me a love song. If you would mourn for me and bring me to God, sing me a requiem, sing me to Heaven. Touch in me all love and passion, pain and pleasure. Touch in me grief and comfort, love and passion, pain and pleasure. Sing me a lullaby, a love song, a requiem. Love me, comfort me, bring me to God. Sing me a love song, sing me to Heaven.

And may I add, when there is a celebration of peace and goodwill, sing in one voice and one song.

Pray all parties will translate the one voice, one song into lasting peace, inclusive growth, security and prosperity for the people.

BLESSINGS: Bless the hands that played a love song on the piano at the concert and the man who is instrumental to the Celebration of Peace.