reMARKable, a choral concert at Newport Performing Arts Theatre Aug. 23, 2026 celebrated the 25th year anniversary of Mark Anthony Carpio as choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. On Mark’s 58th birthday the day before, the gala was held at the same venue at 8 pm.
The audience, who came in droves, savored two hours of delightful choral music stamped with the usual flair and eloquence that have made the Philippine Madrigal Singers, known as the Madz, the premier choir in the country.
Starting promptly, Mark cut a fine figure facing the audience before the closed curtains, and sang in his natural voice the solo part of Patrick Doyle’s Non Nobis Domine (Not Unto Us O Lord), arranged by Madz alumnus Dr. Arwin Tan. When the curtains opened, the resident members of the Madz and some alumni stood tall onstage and sang the rest of the piece with prayerful candor, this time with Mark conducting.
Next came the Sing Philippines Youth Choir (SPYC) that sang with youthful verve and enthusiasm Gloria in Excelsis by Ivo Antognini and Not My Own by Gian Paolo Eleria.
A more dynamic choral sound was heard in the combined singing with the resident Madz of the neo-ethnic Ipagbunyi sa Buong Mundo by Bayang Barrios and Mike Villegas, arranged by Jem Talaroc. This was followed by Tiptipa Kemmakem, a traditional Bontoc spoken rhyme arranged by Nilo Alcala ll, and Sarimanok by Ily Matthew Maniano, both resident members of the Madz. Arabic flavor was savored in Najib Hankash’s work, Aatini Al-Nay Wa Ghanni, that used a Kahlil Gilbran poem as lyrics arranged by Nikko Villanueva, a resident member of the Madz.
The SPYC was founded in 2014 in fulfillment of National Artist for Music Andrea O. Veneracion’s vision of a nation singing in peace and harmony. It is made up of singers from all over the country who passed rigorous auditions.
Cantollano Chamber Choir
The performance of the Cantollano Chamber Choir from Spain closed the first part of the concert. Conducted by Asuncion Blom-Dahl, it is composed of 24 members. Its participation in the concert was made possible through the invitation of the Madz, with whom it enjoys a long-standing collaboration.
The choir sang some Spanish songs, complete with choreography that delighted the audience. These were Besame Mucho by Consuelo Torres as arranged by Jesu Debon, Mazurka se las Sombrillas by Federico Torroba, and Seguidillas by Thomas Bretton.
The resident Madz joined them in A Tu Lado by Matias Anton Mina and Javier Busto, whose forlorn melody built on a gentle habanera rhythm was a delight to hear.
At interval, while comfortably seated in the first row, waiting for the second part of the program to start, I had a flashback. Some time in 2001, before she officially announced her retirement, the venerable Maestra Veneracion, whom we fondly call Andy, invited this writer to a sumptuous lunch in a posh hotel in the Malate area. She confided to this writer that she was bequeathing her position as choirmaster of the Madz to Mark Anthony Carpio, who was then her assistant.
The announcement was formally made in a fitting turnover ceremony at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in connection with the launch of her biography, A Life Shaped by Music, written by Marjorie Evasco of De La Salle University, with yours truly as consultant. She had practically a decade to guide Mark before she went to the Great Beyond in 2013.
It was a great achievement for the Madz, now under Mark, to have bagged for the second time the European Grand Prix in choral singing in 2007 in Arezzo, Italy that duplicated Maestra Andy’s feat of winning of the Grand Prix in Tours, France in 1997. This was something, as the Madz was the first choral group to win the coveted first prize twice.
Soon the second part reeled off with the combined choral might of both the alumni and resident Madz singers singing a gospel hymn, Shall We Gather by the River by Robert Lowry, arranged by Blake Morgan. The two choirs, the resident Madz and the alumni, sang alongside each other in We Behold Once Again the Stars by Z. Randall Stroope. The piece was written for a double choir based on Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. It dramatizes the struggle in hell, expressed in heavy dissonant choral textures, as compared to heaven, expressed in lush harmonies. Much applause greeted the combined singing at the end.
Sound the Trumpet by Henry Purcell, arranged by Cyro Bon Cloui Moral, had four soloists who sang as counter tenors, namely Mark himself, Chris Borela, Ily Matthew Mariano, and Cyro Bon Cloui Moral. Their singing matched the baroque character of the piece.
Choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio with resident and alumni Madz singers
In the piece entitled Sir Mark Salamat, the honoree was requested to take his seat in the front row of the orchestra as this paean was dedicated to him. With text written by Alfred Allan Samonte, the music was a composite creation of five outstanding composer/arrangers of the Madz, namely Nilo Alcala ll, Saunder Choi, Chris Borela, Ily Matthew Maniano, and Cyro Bon Cloui Moral, who took turns conducting the specific parts they composed and arranged that made up the entire composition.
Composing and arranging songs that followed the genre of the pieces sung by the Madz were part of the mission of then Choirmaster Veneracion, to enrich local choral literature. This task continues today. In pursuit of this, the Madz has produced a long list of composers and arrangers who have greatly contributed to the expansion of local choral literature.
The second portion of the last half of the program featured the Manila Symphony Orchestra, with the honoree on the podium. Joey Vargas, Madz alumnus, introduced this segment, with choreography provided by Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance. It fittingly opened with Saunder Choi’s Legatum (Legacy), with text in Pilipino written by Joey Vargas himself, with Enrico Legasca as soloist, and the combined force of the resident and alumni Madz.
Soprano Camille Lopez-Aguila sings ‘Casta Diva’
This was followed by soprano Bianca Lopez-Aguila’s singing of the aria, Casta Diva, from Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma, purportedly a favorite of the late Maestra Veneracion. Soprano Lopez-Aguila sang the aria with ease. Comfortably, she hit the high note and evenly sang the phrases in the middle range. The choreography performed by the Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance added luster to the singing.
National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab’s Gloria, from his Misa 2000, was gloriously sung, with tenor soloist Leo Paolo Leal. Here the combined choirs—SPYC, Cantollano Chamber Choir, the resident Madz, and alumni—wove a massive choral web of sound intoning a fitting praise for the Almighty.
Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance performs stunning choreography in Cayabyab’s ‘Gloria.’
Lighting was superbly done to create the cathedral dome effect on the stage that provided the right ambiance for spirituality. Douglas Nierras’ choreography, executed well by the dancers, added visual realism to the performance, what with that crucified Christ being carried by the dancers at the end.
Eudinice’s choral arrangement of As Long as I Have Music by Don Besig and Nancy Price, and the effective orchestration done by Jeffrey Solares, with the resident Madz and the SPYC, was a standout. The inclusion of those lovely snippets from Mozart and Bach made the piece even more catchy. The audience gave thunderous applause at the end.
The finale, Itutuloy, by Edith Gallardo and Moy Ortiz and arranged by Chris Borela, with Mark Carpio himself as the soloist, served as icing on the cake.
Choirmaster Mark gives response.
In his response, Mark said he will continue the task of leading the Madz, where collectivity is shared. Not even the pandemic had stopped them, he said; music “brings hope, love and peace!” He expressed his gratitude and sincerest thanks to the the people who “walked with us,” and hopes for continuing generous support as the Madz continues to sing.
We wish Mark Anthony Carpio the best as he continues to lead the Philippine Madrigal Singers. Mabuhay, bravo, and congratulations!
