Our Music
On September 21, 2022, the anniversary of our foundation, the University of the Philippines Cherubim and Seraphim offers the hymn, “U.P. Naming Mahal” to our alma mater, which has encouraged, nurtured and honored us throughout the 51 years of our existence. Composed by Nicanor Abelardo in 1917, the song is a constant reminder of our commitment as an academic community to the advancement of the nation through the education of its children and youth.
On 25 September 2021, the U.P. Cherubim & Seraphim, together with the U.P. Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, celebrated the group’s golden anniversary with a virtual concert entitled “Aurea Carmina,” featuring 5 decades of UPCS, with guest artists Joey Ayala, Lynn Sherman, Robin Rivera, Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and more!
“Awit ni Pulau,” (The Song of Pulau) is a theatrepiece in Filipino, created for and performed by children using music, song, poetry and dance. The exquisite libretto written by Edgardo Maranan, set to music by National Artist Ramon P. Santos, tells of the misguided creation of a world by a vain, self-centered male deity and the havoc that ensues when men are given the license to exploit all the creatures in it.
The Philippines celebrates one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world, from the period of Advent often beginning in November and ending with the Feast of the Three Kings in January. This is an intensely active period for singing and music making. In 2020, the year of the great pandemic, locked in our homes and separated from each other, we, the music makers and dreamers of dreams, continue to raise our voices in celebration of Christ’s birth and the hope it continues to give us in the darkness of the year!
‘Carillon à musique’ is an old name for the music box, a small finely crafted container that could be put in one’s pocket and carried anywhere. When opened, it would unleash a familiar melody that was usually dear to the bearer’s heart.
In April 2020, amidst the covid-19 pandemic, the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim launched a virtual series of small gemlike pieces from a repertoire stretching back 49 years. Each piece is sung by members and alumni from the five decades of the group’s existence. We hope that you will open these music boxes and that they will also find a place in your hearts.
Over the past 49 years, the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim has recorded 4 full albums, namely “Wings,” “Light Sings” and “Awit sa Sabsaban” in the late 1970’s and “Bata ang Bukas” in 2005. Selections from these albums may be accessed here.
Watch the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim in some of their past concerts and performances over the years.