Ellinwood Chamber Orchestra Echoes of Orchestral Praise
Ong before the Philippines became known worldwide for its pop bands, Filipino musicians were revered artists as showcased through its prewar orchestras and symphonic brass bands. The country even has the distinction of having the first symphony orchestra
LThe allure of the orchestra seems to have waned over the decades due to issues of financing, trained musicians, and the unpopularity of classical music to the common people.
It is interesting to note that despite the many hurdles along the way, orchestral music will mature in due time and will become as mainstream as your neighborhood rock band.
Such is the story of the Ellinwood Chamber Orchestra ( ECHO), the parish- based ensemble of the Uccp-ellinwood Malate Church, which literally began from scratch in 2015 neither had musicians, funding, nor instruments. All it had the vision to establish an orchestra to provide accompaniment to its liturgical services and religious events.
As for manpower, all it had was a 19-year old violin student George Bernard Supetran from the University of Sto. Tomas Conservatory of Music.
In the summer of the said year, he started pro bono violin lessons for elementary, high school, and college students, and a few adults, who constituted the core of the orchestra in progress.
The initial recruits included his 12-year old sister, Leila Bernice, and members of the SS Dames, a fellowship of middleaged couples within the church. The group helped procure instruments for their children and funded the initial expenses as their labor of love to the church’s music ministry.
By mid-2015, the fledging group held its first recital for violin, viola and cello as their baptism of fire, and would later render offertory music occasionally during worship services and special events. Recitals were regularly held to continue sharpening the skills of the newly-minted orchestral musicians, many of whom were part of the church’s theater guild and contemporary music band.
After an intensive postChristmas music camp and a series of recitals, the orchestra was formally inducted as a recognized church organization in July 2016.
“The formation of the Ellinwood Chamber orchestra or ECHO is no less than an act of God Almighty, our Chief Musician and Audience of One, who willed its realization despite the many constraints along the way,” says Supetran who also serves as its conductor and music director.
He cited the dedication of the first batch of trainees, the financial support of their parents, and donations of the church community to make the decade-old vision come true.
“Each member of the orchestra is not just a player, but also a music minister who brings the message of God’s hope, love and peace. Every music piece we play is like a prayer where orchestral praises to the Almighty echo through our instruments,” he spiritedly added.
He noted that the infusion of classical music has given a different feel and spirit to the worship services of Ellinwood, which takes pride in its rich choral and congregational singing tradition.
Because of financial limitations, the orchestra cellist, Emmanuel Santero stepped up to the plate and bankrolled the instrument procurement program, which is payable on a lay-away basis. The group is currently composed of violin, viola, cello, contrabass, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, and marimba musicians, and is gradually expanding on other standard instruments.
A major boost came ECHO’S way when it held a weeklong boot camp-cum-concert tour of churches and government offices in Baguio City and Benguet in December 2016, where public performances were interspersed in between music lessons.
It took another leap of faith in October 2017, when it collaborated with the Ellinwood’s ACTS 29 Theater Ministry in staging the original dramamusical Missing, in line with the church’s 110th founding anniversary. In the same month, it also made its debut as a gala orchestra performing ballroom music at the same event.
While performing religious and sacred music has been its comfort zone, ECHO made a great crossover in 2018 when it literally took the spotlight at the long-running Concert at the Park weekly program at the Rizal Park Open-air Auditorium.
The concert featured wellloved classical compositions, Christian hymns, and pop tunes, including medleys from The Beatles and the movie The Greatest Showman, which were arranged by the orchestra members.
Whi le dispersed by the pandemic for several months now, the youthful players rehearse individually under the supervision of its conductor.
They also made two virtual performances as part of the online worship services, combining the musicians’ virtuosity and the audio editing savvy of its conductor. They recorded “Finlandia” by Sibelius and Steve Green’s “The Mission” along with a mixed choir, and occasional musical offerings.
Just like other performances in this pandemic period, the availability of music editing softwares make virtual recordings a reality, albeit more challenging and taxing than the conventional renditions.
“Given our limitations in terms of time, human, and material resources, the growth and maturity of the orchestra is remarkable. We can only attribute this to the Divine Providence who had been with us every step of the way,” Supetran enthuses.
A prodigy in his own right, Supetran is a product of the CASA San Miguel music camp in San Antonio, Zambales under world- renowned violinist Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata. A violin teacher at the De La Salle Greenhills displaced by the pandemic, he is now a private tutor, freelance arranger, and conductor of Ellinwood’s Evangel Choir.
With the country’s slow-butcautious transition into the new normal regime, he and his ECHO colleagues are confident that the resumption of physical worship services in the churches is on the horizon. And along with it are the rehearsals, performances and fellowship, so they can reverberate once more the echoes of orchestral praise to God Almighty.