Celebration of Life: Macrine J. Katague via her Favorite Music(Choral)-Part 7

This is Part 7 of 14 on the series Celebration of Life of Macrine J. Katague via her favorite music.

Macrine and I loved choral music. Our first activity in UP Diliman during our college years was our participation with the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action Choir. *( see photo of UPSCA Choir with Macrine and I as participants on bottom of page in 1953)

In this episode I am please to post a UP Concert Chorus rendition of Bayan Ko ( My Country)-a patriotic song. This patriotic song is dedicated to President Elect Joe Biden and VP Elect Kamala Harris. It is Philippine version of My Country 'Tis of Thee'.   

Bayan Ko (English translation)

My Country

My country The Philippines

Land of gold and flowers

Love bestowed to her

Offered beauty and glow

 

Due to her beauty and grace

Foreigners are tempted

My country, they enslaved you

Gave you endless suffering

 

Even bird that fly freely

Will cry once caged

My country, they enslaved you

Gave you endless suffering

 

KORO

Even bird that fly freely

Will cry once caged

My land so fair

Yearns to break free

 

Philippines that I so adore

Nest of tears and poverty

All that I desire

To see you rise and free

 

(Koro)

While searching for the best arrangement of this song, another song that I enjoyed are from the Madrigals- another UP group who had won several International awards in Choral music-May the Lord Bless and Keep You and the UP Singers Ambassadors rendition of Maalaala Mo Kaya ( Can you Remember)

University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action Choir, 1953. Macrine sings soprano and me in the Base section!  We have 300 members from various college chapters of the university.

Macrine and I loved singing in the choir here in Northern California. In the late 1980's, we sang in our church choir on Sunday masses in Pinole, as well as with the UP Alumni, Berkeley Chapter Choir based in El Sobrante, California.

Twelve years ago, we sang in our Church Choir here in Fair Oaks. We even sang a duet of Silent Night in Tagalog at the concert before the Christmas midnight mass.

Macrine and I had also organized the Marinduque Association of the Capital Area( MACA) Christmas Caroling Group in Colesville, Maryland in the late 1990's.

Macrine used to be a soloist. She sang soprano coloratura in her younger days. Today her voice is ruined by her cigarette smoking. Her last singing activity was being paid to sing for a friend's wedding in the Philippines as well as here in US.

Madrigal Singers- Dahil Sa Iyo ( Because of You)

https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/search?q=upsca+choir 

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of Macrine and her Lemon tree in Our residence in Fair Oaks, CA  2016

 Meanwhile, here's the Transition News of the Day from the New York Times:

Joe Biden during a campaign event last month.Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Biden has said he will undo several Trump administration policies — on climate change, the pandemic, labor unions and more — on his first day in office. European diplomats expressed relief that the next U.S. president would treat them as allies instead of rivals, while Vladimir Putin of Russia seemed to be preparing for a more acrimonious relationship. One White House tradition will return: the presidential pet. The Bidens have two German shepherds, Champ and Major. and the Breaking News

The S&P 500 jumped 3.6% and is on track for a new record after positive news about a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer.