UP Cherubim and Seraphim Choir – The Beginnings

by Eric Nera, founding member, UPCS

Let us go back 49 years ago to June of 1971. 

The First Quarter Storm of 1970 had just mellowed down; peace had returned to the campus.  It was a good time for the young musicians to get back to their practice.  The piano, violin, guitar, voice students – all the extension programs of the UP Conservatory of Music (as it was called then) were in full swing.  

Those who were enrolled in the program were required to attend the music theory classes on Saturday mornings to augment the skills they were learning in their individual music classes. The classes were held at Rooms 202 and 204 of the Abelardo Hall. It allowed us to better understand the language of music by learning the concepts of melody, harmony, key signatures, pitches, intervals, scales, chords, pitch, rhythm, and tempo among others. 

The extension students were divided into two groups: one group consisting of Grades 1 to 4 students while the other group consisted of Grades 5 and 6 students. Being one of the younger kids, I was in the 1st group.

“Mom” Rivera and her husband, Dr. Manuel T. Rivera

A lot of our activities involved singing, reading, recitation, and movement. I remember using blocks and sticks in some of our activities, but what I remember the most were the stories we had to perform. Most of these were famous children’s stories like The Little Red Riding Hood, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and Cinderella.  In these activities, each of us got to play a character of the story.  Through these activities we learned and got to practice the fundamentals of music. 

To counter our stage fright when performing as well as put our learned theories and skills to the test, an end of semester activity was conducted at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium.  Families and relatives of the participating extension students were invited. We performed the story of Little Black Sambo on-stage, the story of an African child who encountered four hungry tigers in the forest and defeated them using his wit.  I also remember percussion and dance numbers being performed. Such was the culmination of all the things we learned from the music theory classes.

UP Cherubim and Seraphim, First concert (1971)

One Saturday, however, in the middle of the semester, we were called one by one to go down to Room 120.  We did not know why, but I remember vividly that when I came to the room, I was so nervous. Inside the room, Mrs. Flora Rivera, whom we all later learned to call “Mom Flora” or simply “Mom”, was at the piano and she asked me to stand beside her.  Then she told me to stand straight and told me to sing while playing the melody C-Bb-A-G-F.  I sang effortlessly with my boy soprano voice, “Loo-oo-oo-oo-oo”.  Then Mom Flora said, “Now sing this,” and played E-D-C#-B-A.  I followed, and with my boy soprano tone sang, “Loo-oo-oo-oo-oo”. Afterwards, she told me I could go back to the class.

Just before noon at the end of the extension class, Mom Flora went up the 2nd floor classroom and announced the names of those who will report to the rehearsal room the following Saturday at 9 a.m .  My name was called.  Some of the others I remember being called were Aura Castillo, Cecille Jueco, Rowena Arrieta, Liza Tech, Dennis Bautista, Edgar Tordesillas, & Chally Romero, among others.

The following Saturday, all of us whose names were called skipped the regular music theory classes to attend what apparently was a choir practice. 

Those from the younger group sat in the 1st row while those from the older group sat in the 2nd row.  One of the first lessons Mom Flora taught us was how to sit properly when singing.  She told us to sit only on the front third of our wooden chairs with our elbows on the armchair and our backs straight.  We were not supposed to recline on the back of the chair when singing.  Mom Flora then asked us to sing whatever she played on the piano—our first ever vocalization exercise.  Next, she asked to stand with our arms at our sides while singing. In succeeding exercises, some movements were added with our hands up in the air while skipping left and right. I remember it being quite exhausting to sing while moving at the same time.

From then on, the choir practice became our music theory classes.  Initially, we were not classified into voices so we were vocalizing and singing in unison, learning rounds and canons, the most memorable of which was Dona Nobis Pacem, not only because of its beautiful melody but also because it was our first exposure to singing in a non-familiar foreign language.

We learned a few more songs which we then performed at the end of semester recital at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium on 18 September 1971. A few days later, on 21 September, it was announced that the group will be the official children’s choir of the University of the Philippines. 

 And thus, was born the UP Cherubim.