Memories from the 80s
by Laya Vea-Bilbao
My University of the Philippines Cherubim and Seraphim days feel like a lifetime ago – I auditioned as a 12-year-old 6th grader in 1984. I remember having rehearsals in the room at the far end of the corridor in Abelardo Hall, with Mrs. Rivera or Tita Lennette conducting and Ate Rhona playing the piano. Those rehearsals were my favorite hours of every week. We would sing songs over and over until we got them just right. English songs, Tagalog songs, even French songs and German songs that we did not understand. To this day, I can sing every bit of “Wir Eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten” without missing a beat.
While I enjoyed rehearsing and performing, some of my fondest memories of UPCS involve time spent with the other members of the choir in between rehearsals and performances. I remember when we were part of a concert that included the former sibling singing group, The Nail Clippers. For many weeks after that show Marsha, Isa, Miko, Rizpah, Ria S and I would randomly break out in song and harmonize to “We Built this City” while mimicking the Nail Clippers’ dance moves. Anywhere. And everywhere. The older choir members probably thought we were a bunch of crazy kids, but it didn’t matter to us. UPCS was all about the fun of youth and the joy of sharing a common passion with your closest friends!
I moved to a different school for secondary education, but the pull of singing and performing kept me coming back to Abelardo Hall. One of my last trips with UPCS was a tour of Hong Kong/China. It was a great experience, but to be honest, more than three decades later, the memories are a bit hazy. However, one memory remains vivid: It was a calm night and we were on a ferry from HK to Guangzhou. We gathered on the deck to sing “Payapang Daigdig” and “Who Has Touched the Sky” - the other passengers grew silent, and nothing else but the wind blowing around us made a sound. Because of this moment in time, hearing those songs always brings me back to the days when I was a child, making beautiful music with a choir, without a care in the world.
The internet has made the world a much smaller place. Social media has reconnected me with UPCS friends, most of whom I have not seen since the 80s or 90s. I have come to the realization that shared memories of our time in the choir strongly bind us together and will always make us feel like “old friends” no matter where we are in the world. UPCS has had a profound impact on my life and I am forever grateful for the opportunity. It taught me discipline and perseverance. It allowed me to travel to distant places and perform for diverse audiences. But, many years later, I realize that the things I treasure the most are the lasting friendships, and the songs that bring back a flood of UPCS memories and make up a significant part of the “soundtrack of my life.”
