By Fr. Donnie Duchin Duya, SDB

Makati City, the Philippines -- In the afternoon 29 January, second day of the triduum in honor of St. John Bosco’s feast, Don Bosco Technical Institute—Makati (DBTI) had its newly constructed theater blessed.

It had to be, because that evening, the theater was to be filled with music. But it would not just be any ordinary night, nor any kind of music. It was a night of Boscorale Music.

Boscorale

Boscorale, a portmanteau of Don Bosco and chorale, is the resident choir of DBTI composed of all-male high school students, which began in DBTI as an extra-curricular club. A decade ago, it began its streak of winning various choral competitions under the baton of Mr. Alvin Paulin, then a new teacher.

At present, it has transformed itself to be one of the best high school choirs in the Philippines after harvesting numerous awards here and abroad. Just last year, it registered a neat record of bagging all five championship belts in five competitions it joined in: Musica FEUROPA, NAMCYA (National Music Competition for Young Artists) Himig Pasko, MBC National Choral Competitions Children's Category, and Ayala Makati Inter-High School Caroling Competition.

One of the recent accolades given to it is the 2016 Ani ng Dangal for Music Award, a national award conferred by the National Commission for Culture and the Awards.

The Concert

The curtain was raised with Boscorale’s rendition of a Filipino song Tumbangon, composed in solidarity with typhoon victims. A cacophony of hissing sound produced by Boscorale that imitated blustery winds opened the performance. Even if they were just imitating the sound of the wind, this in itself is a beautiful music.

Other local songs in their repertoire included Salidummay (a folk song from the Cordillera Mountains), Ang Pipit (A bird), Posible (Possible), Nakapagtataka (Amazing), Babaero (Playboy) and Hataw Na! (Whip it).

But they did not just render local songs, they also sang songs from Taiwan (Naluluwa iya na yae), Sweden (Pseudo-Yoik) and Ireland (Hinbarra and Dulaman) and Beatles’ signature song Help!

The concert also featured the St. Paul College Pasig High School Chorale as a guest performer. It rendered four songs: Ave Maria, Orde-e, Bongga Ka Day, and Sisters.

In his opening address, Fr. Alex Garces, SDB, rector of Don Bosco Technical Institute—Makati, did not just welcome the Salesians, parents, students, guests and followers of Boscorale who came to witness the inaugural concert of the world class choir, he also disclosed to the assembly a promise he made nearly three years ago that he would institutionalize the Boscorale and that it would no longer be just a club, for its music will be part of the DBTI tradition and culture.

He added that, with the House Council’s approval to proceed with the construction of the theater last year, he thought that this would a veritable home for Boscorale. “Back then it was a dream, this evening we celebrate the fulfillment of this dream,” he concluded.

No less that FIN Provincial Superior Fr. Anthony Paul Bicomong, SDB, and St. John Bosco Parish Priest Fr. Renato de Guzman, SDB graced the occasion. Both of them took important posts in DBTI in the past, being rector and pastoral director, respectively.

Boscorale will stage another concert on February 25 as it prepares for an international competition in March.

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