The Madz is one of the most awarded choirs in Asia, having consistently won all the prizes in the most prestigious international choral competitions for many years.[citation needed] Because of their impressive track record and musical virtuosity, the Philippine Madrigal Singers is now regarded as one of the world's best choirs.
The Philippine Madrigal Singers was organized as the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers in 1963 by Prof. Andrea Veneracion, proclaimed National Artist for Music in 1999. The group is composed of students, faculty and alumni from the different colleges of the University of the Philippines. Its present choirmaster since 2001 is Mark Anthony Carpio.
The group performs different music genres but specializes in the madrigal, a polyphonic and challenging musical style popular during the Renaissance where singers and guests would gather around the table during a banquet to sight-sing and make music together. This served as the inspiration for their unique style of singingβsinging seated in a semicircle without a conductor.
As Philippine ambassadors of culture and goodwill, the Madz have had the pleasure and privilege of giving command performances for royalty and heads of state. These include Pope Paul VI, United States Presidents Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon, Spanish King Juan Carlos de Bourbon and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The influence of the Madrigal Singers on the Philippine and Asian choral scene has been far-reaching. It has graduated more than 200 choral and vocal pedagogues from its ranks, actively involved in organizing and conducting choirs. Its corps of member and alumni composers and choral arrangers which includes (Emmanuel Laureola, Fabian Obispo, Ruben Federizon, Ed Nepomuceno, Annie Nepomuceno, Robert Delgado, Arnold Zamora, Eudenice Palaruan, Christopher Borela, Anna Abeleda Piquero, and Nilo Alcala) continue to produce new compositions and choral settings of Philippine and Asian songs, thus contributing to the growth of choral literature in Asia. The Singers maintain an active concert tour schedule, averaging two concert tours a year. Their outreach concert tours take them to far-flung areas of the Philippines, seldom reached by choral artists.
[edit] Awards
The Madrigal Singers first earned critical acclaim during their performance in the First Choruses of the World Festival at the Lincoln Center in New York in 1969. This concert welcomed them to the international choral community, eventually paving their way to joining the most distinguished international choral competitions - Spittal, Austria; Arezzo and Gorizia, Italy; NeuchΓ’tel, Switzerland; Debrecen, Hungary; Varna, Bulgaria; Tolosa, Spain; and Marktoberdorf in Germany, and winning all the top prizes.
In June 1997, the Philippine Madrigal Singers came home from their ninth world concert tour, winning the grand prize in the Grand Prix European de Chant Choral Competition in Tours, France, besting five other grand prize winners of the most prestigious choral competition in Europe: Guido d'Arezzo, Italy; Debrecen, Hungary; Varna, Bulgaria; Gorizia, Italy; and Tolosa, Spain. The Madz displayed a virtuoso performance so moving one juror had to describe the group's music as the "most beautiful sound on earth".
In July 2006, the Madz won the grand prize (Grand Prix de la Ville de Tours) at the Florilege de Tours choral competition in France, making them eligible for the 2007 European Choral Grand Prix (to be held in Arezzo, Italy). In the same competition, the Madz were also awarded the first prize for Category III (mixed vocal ensemble), first prize for Category IV (free program) and the Prix University François Rabelais for best interpretation of a Renaissance number.
On August 26, 2007, the Philippine Madrigal Singers won, for the second time, the grand prize in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy. This victory makes them the first of the only two choirs in the world to win the grand prize twice. (The other is A.P.Z. Tone TomΕ‘iΔ, which won its second European Grand Prix the succeeding year.) The European Grand Prix is widely understood to be the Olympics of the choral circuit.
On July 27, 2009, UNESCO honored the Madz and designated the group as UNESCO Artist for Peace. This title is given to celebrity advocates charged with the mission of embodying and raising awareness in the UNESCO ideals, which include peace, security, fundamental human rights and freedom.
Carol Of The Bells
The Philippine Madrigal Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home
Ding, dong, ding, dong
The song "Carol of the Bells" by The Philippine Madrigal Singers is a joyful celebration of the arrival of Christmas. The opening lines, "Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, 'Throw cares away,'" set the tone for the rest of the song. The bells are a symbol of happiness and good cheer, urging us to forget our worries and embrace the festive season. The lyrics also mention how Christmas is a time for everyone, both young and old. This line emphasizes the idea that Christmas is a universal celebration that brings people together.
Throughout the song, there is a focus on the bells themselves. The chorus repeats the words "ding, dong, ding, dong," mimicking the sound of the bells ringing out. The bells are said to be telling their story, spreading joy and happiness. The song also employs the imagery of the bells ringing out over hills and dales, bringing Christmas cheer to every home. Overall, the song is a joyous celebration of the holiday season, encouraging listeners to forget their worries and enjoy the festivities.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark! how the bells
Listen! The sound of the bells is ringing out.
Sweet silver bells
The bells are made of silver and sound sweet.
All seem to say, "Throw cares away."
The bells seem to be telling us to forget our worries and enjoy the holiday season.
Christmas is here
The Christmas holiday has arrived.
Bringing good cheer
The holiday season brings happiness and joy.
To young and old
Everyone, regardless of age, can enjoy the holiday season.
Meek and the bold
Both humble and brave people can enjoy the festive season.
Ding, dong, ding, dong
The sound of the bells ringing out.
That is their song
The song being played is the sound of the bells ringing.
With joyful ring
The bells are ringing happily.
All caroling
The bells are creating a festive atmosphere.
One seems to hear
It sounds like the bells are speaking to us.
Words of good cheer
The message being delivered is one of happiness and joy.
From ev'rywhere
The sound is coming from all around.
Filling the air
The sound is so loud that it seems to be everywhere.
Oh how they pound,
The bells sound like they are pounding.
Raising the sound,
The bells are getting louder.
O'er hill and dale,
The sound of the bells echoes over hills and valleys.
Telling their tale,
The bells are telling a story through their sound.
Gaily they ring
The bells are ringing happily.
While people sing
People are also singing in celebration of the holiday season.
Songs of good cheer
The songs being sung are filled with happiness and joy.
Christmas is here
The Christmas holiday has arrived.
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Wishing a joyful and happy Christmas season to everyone.
On, on they send
The sound of the bells continues on and on.
On without end
The sound of the bells seems endless.
Their joyful tone
The sound of the bells is full of happiness and joy.
To ev'ry home
The sound of the bells reaches every home in the area.
Ding, dong, ding, dong
The sound of the bells ringing out.
Contributed by Joseph D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ampo, Lendel
Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding-dong, ding-dong
That is the song
With joyful ring
All caroling (Oh, oh, ah)
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere (From everywhere)
Filling the air
Oh, how they pound (Oh, how they pound)
Raising their sound
O'er hill and dale
Telling their tale
Gaily they ring
While people sing songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
On on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home
Ah, ah, ah
Ding-dong, ding-dong
Ding-dong, ding-dong
PebblBead
Ang galing Ng dynamics! Ganyan din kabilis Ang areglo Ng Tabernacle chhoir
LanzBoi
It's actually good! Ignore the other comment na nag sasabi ng negative comment.
Christian Al
So perfect galing talaga ni ma'am oa pantay pantay ang buga at nag beblend
Jeffrey Pallarca
Ang bilis nman..parang mas mabilis pa kay gloc 9 jokeeπ
Jay Managa
Nagmamadali lng? San lakad mga beshie. No goosebumps with this version unlike Libera. π₯±π₯±π₯±π₯±
The Reclusive Tenor
Ok. If you say so.