Sing'n'Joy Manila 2013 - Program Book

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Fred J. Elizalde
Chairman, Manila Broadcasting Company
As the largest broadcast network in Asia,
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) constantly
seeks to reinforce its mandate of bringing
music, information, and entertainment
to the Filipino public. In doing so, we have
also embraced special events, particularly
those that bring us closer to the grassroots
level, which would help us link our multitude
of island cultures in the way we know best.
Since 2007, MBC has also held a choral competition
as part of its Christmas festivities.
The first edition was a Children’s Choir Competition
featuring school groups from Metro
Manila. In 2008, the contest expanded to
include an Open Category for groups with
members above the age of 14. And in 2009,
we began drawing participants from various
parts of the country in what has been premised
as a nationwide choral contest.
Through all these, we have seen what it is
that makes the experience of choristership
so special and still so prized among Filipinos
as a great musical tradition. The fine schools,
committed teachers, as well as proud friends,
relatives, and nannies are all very inspiring to
the impressionable young plus, of course, the
discipline, performance skills, and standards
of excellence that are imbued.
Indeed, the role of the chorister provides a
tangible link between the past and future
of music for and by young people. Successive
generations of choirs – whether they be
from Cambridge, Vienna, Malaybalay, or Bohol
– have stirred the hearts of live audiences,
bringing wider enjoyment to the public
at large. And Manila Broadcasting Company
is proud to be part of that effort.
With Filipino choirs perennially bringing
home titles from the world’s most prestigious
choral competitions, it is not surprising
to see hard-fought battles back home. But it
becomes even more impressive when foreign
choirs come over to share that special kind of
artistry in a bond that can only be fortified by
the belief that music brings people together.
Fred J. Elizalde
Chairman, Manila Broadcasting Company