03 October 2011 – The UST Singers held a successful concert last Sunday, 02 October 2011, at the Basilica Parroquia de la Virgen de la Milagrosa in Madrid before an estimated audience of approximately 500 persons composed of members of the diplomatic corps, clergy, and members of the Filipino community and the Spanish public.
According to Mr. Fidel G. Calalang, the choir´s Director, the concert in Madrid has so far attracted the most number of persons in attendance for this year´s edition of their European Concert Tour.
For its repertoire, the UST Singers mixed religious music with their versions of popular music from Spain, the Philippines, Sweden, and the United States of America. Their renditions of El Bodeguero and Eres Tu were widely applauded especially by the Spanish members of the audience. The popular Kailangan Kita, composed by Mr. Ogie Alcasid and arranged by the UST´s Singers own director was also a crowd-favorite.
The concert, organized by the University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association Madrid Chapter (USTAA) in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, is the USTAA´s contribution to the year-long celebration of the Quadricentennial Anniversary of the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 1611 by the Spanish Dominican priest, Fray Miguel de Benavidez, O.P. who was born in Carrion de los Condes in Palencia.
In his remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos C. Salinas, a UST alumni himself, thanked the UST Singers for including Spain in their tour of Europe and congratulated the group on their many successes which has brought much honor and pride to Filipinos all over the world.
The Madrid concert capped off the Spanish leg of the UST Singers´ European Concert Tour which included memorable performances in Barcelona, San Quirze de las Valles, Carrion de los Condes, and Segovia.
During the UST Singers´ concert in Carrion de los Condes on 30 September 2011, the Mayor of the town, Mr. Javier Villafruela Fierro, awarded the UST Singers with a plaque containing the town´s seal as sign of friendship between the choir and the people of Carrion de los Condes. The UST Singers performed for a standing room only audience, (composed of townsfolk and pilgrims of the Way of Saint James from all over the world) at the Teatro Municipal Sarabia which can seat 400 persons. One Dutch pilgrim was so thoroughly impressed with and moved by the group´s performance that he had to personally thank the Embassy for giving him the opportunity to listen to such beautiful music.