For the very first time, the highly acclaimed, nationally and internationally famous and award winning Loboc Children’s Choir (LCC) of the Philippines will be holding a series of concerts in New Zealand to showcase Filipino musical artistry and cultural heritage, share their talents in the performing arts with the Filipino communities, children, youth and people of New Zealand and help raise funds for the rebuilding of their school and restoration of churches, homes, schools and heritage sites of Bohol which were devastated by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in October 2013 and were also affected by typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. Their performances will also be part of the celebratory activities for the Philippine national day in June 2015. The LCC is a school-based choir composed of very musically talented thirty school children of Loboc Central Elementary School in Bohol, Central Visayas, Philippines whose performances continue to bring joy, pride and inspiration to school and community events in the local, regional and international arenas.

In Auckland, the LCC will be performing at the Great Hall of the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday, 6 June 2015, with doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the performance starting at 5:30 p.m. The NZ PHIL SCOT Foundation (Street Children & Orphans Trust), in cooperation with the Embassy of the Philippines, the Philippine Consulate General in Auckland and the Liwayway Marketing Corporation in the Philippines are now making the necessary arrangements for this grand and much awaited event.

In Wellington, the LCC will have a gala presentation at the Pipitea Marae on Friday, 12 June 2015, with doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the performance starting at 6:30 p.m. The Bulwagan Foundation Trust with the support of the Embassy of the Philippines and the Liwayway Marketing Corporation are set to make it a special evening of LCC’s heart-warming and inspiring music.

In Christchurch, the LCC’s captivating cultural performance on Saturday, 20 June 2015,at Celebrations Events Centre is being organized by the Canterbury Philippines Assistance Group (CPAG) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Philippines, the Philippine Consulate and the Liwayway Marketing Corporation. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the gala presentation will begin 5:30 p.m.

The LCC who will be performing in New Zealand is composed of 23 exceptionally gifted school children ranging in ages from 10 to 14 years old in grades 5 to 9 accompanied by their selfless, committed and dedicated musical director, conductor, and pianist. While in New Zealand, the LCC will share their talents and interact with children in several local schools, choirs and musical groups to promote Philippine culture and musical heritage, enhance people-to-people linkages, especially among the children and youth, and strengthen bridges of friendship, understanding and goodwill between the Philippines and New Zealand.

Celebrating culture, connecting countries and communicating with communities through music, the LCC’s enchanting and enthralling performances should not be missed. Please save the dates and watch for future announcements on the greatly anticipated performances of the LCC singing songs of hope, love and joy with a repertoire of classical, Filipino folk, modern, Broadway and contemporary songs.

Please visit https://www.mediafire.com/folder/0mn2z1u0nc74u/Loboc_Children%27s_Choir to view photos and videos of the Loboc Children’s Choir.

LOBOC CHILDREN’S CHOIR

I. Background Voices, so pure and angelic, burst through the gathering silence and darkness of the tropical evening as thirty children get together for their daily choir rehearsals. Most evenings are like this in the center of the small town of Loboc, the 'Music Town' of the island Province of Bohol, Philippines -- the home of the Loboc Children's Choir.

Founded in 1980, the Loboc Children's Choir is composed of thirty schoolchildren between nine and thirteen years old, who all attend the Loboc Central Elementary School. However, from an ordinary school choir, established to give color to school and community events, this choir has blossomed into one of the most outstanding choirs in the Philippines today.

The Loboc Children's Choir became the National Champion in the category of Children's Choirs during the National Music Competitions for Young Artists in 2001. These competitions are the most prestigious music competitions in the Philippines. And not for the first time: they garnered the same First Prize in 1993 and 1995.

In its twenty-five years of existence, the Choir has held concerts all over the country as well as in other parts of the world. In 2000, it represented the country during the International Children's Culture and Arts Festival in Tianjin, China, and held concerts in Beijing and Hong Kong. In 1996, in a concert dubbed, "On Angels' Wings: From Bohol to the World", the choir toured key cities in the United States. It has performed with the World Youth Orchestra during its concerts in Bohol and Cebu in 1999, and with the University of Santo Tomas Symphony Orchestra. As a 'cultural treasure' of the Province, the group often sings for visiting dignitaries, and local and foreign tourists. Its concert repertoire is a combination of classical, folk, modern and children's songs. Its latest memorable project was its partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the leading art museum in the Philippines, which launched an exhibit on the arts and culture of Bohol.

The Choir, under the auspices of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and of its leaders led by Trustee Bea Zobel Jr. and Executive Director Ino Manalo, regaled the exhibit launch with a special concert which was followed by a Christmas Concert tour in major business establishments in Makati and Ayala Alabang. This climaxed with a command performance for the Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain in a cultural exchange visit to the Philippines. Another memorable recent project was the highly acclaimed back-to-back concert with the University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors, winner of the prestigious Gran Premio Citta di Arezzo in 2001 during the 49th Concorso Polifonico Internazionale Guido d'Arezzo in Arezzo, Italy. The concert, aptly entitled "An Evening of Heaven's Music", was held in line with the Heritage Conservation Program in the Province of Bohol. However, the Loboc Children's Choir is not only heard in concert halls or auditoriums, but also in prisons, hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the aged, where its music of hope, love, and joy also find its meaning. It continues to take active part in school, town, and provincial activities. 


II. Alma Fernando-Taldo, Musical Director and Conductor

Ma'am Alma, as she is fondly called by the children, is a fifth grade teacher of Loboc Central Elementary School, teaching English and Character Education. She received her first music lessons from her paternal grandfather and later from the solfeggio classes that still exist today. She has attended music workshops conducted by renowned Filipino musicians like Ed L. Manguiat of the multi-awarded University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors, who also serves as consultant to the Loboc Children's Choir, Dr. Ramon Santos, Mr. Chino Toledo, Mrs. Andrea Veneracion of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and Dr. Francisco Feliciano. Since its inception, Mrs. Taldo, with sheer talent and selfless dedication, continues to successfully steer the Loboc Children's Choir to where it is today, believing that for as long as the children sing, hope lives.

Please use the link below and download photos of Loboc Children's Choir and Loboc attractions.http://sdrv.ms/11bUKcU

THE LOBOC CHILDREN'S CHOIR

The Loboc Children’s Choir (LCC) is a school-based choir composed of thirty school children of Loboc Central Elementary School in Bohol, Philippines.

The LCC was founded in 1980 by a team of teachers led by musical director Alma Fernando Taldo at the Loboc Central Elementary School in Loboc, Bohol. It is a school choir established to give color to school and community events. It has brought accolades to the Philippines by winning the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in 1993, 1995, and 2001. In 2003, the choir received the grand prize at the “Europe and Its Songs Festival” international competition held in Barcelona, Spain. In 2011, the choir landed third place at the Certamen Coral de Tolosa choral competition in Spain.

In 2000, the LCC represented the Philippines at the International Children’s Culture and Arts Festival in Tianjin, China, and held concerts in Beijing and Hong Kong. In February 2005, the Loboc Children’s Choir performed with the Little Children’s Cultural Troupe from the Shanghai Chapter of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation (SCLF) at the Meralco Theatre in Metro Manila. The resounding success of the partnership led the SCLF to cooperate with the Liwayway Marketing Corporation (Oishi), supported by its chairman, Mr. Carlos Chan, and the Department of Foreign Affairs to perform in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou on July 17 to 20 of the same year. The activity also celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and The People’s Republic of China.

The LCC also represented the Philippines at the Hong Kong International Children’s Culture and Arts in 2006 and in Shanghai in 2007. In October of 2010, The Loboc Children’s Choir dedicated three days of their China visit to enchant Shanghai World Expo visitors with their angelic voices. In addition to astonishing the audiences at the Philippine Pavilion and the Asia Square, the LCC performed in various locales around Shanghai with Liwayway Marketing Corporation and the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai as sponsors.

In June 2013, the LCC was invited by the Philippine Embassy in Beijing to perform at the celebration of the Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges. The LCC bagged a silver medal at the 12th China International Chorus Festival (ICF) under the youth choir category of the music fest that was held from 29 July to 04 August 2014 in Beijing.

The Choir also went on a 10-day concert tour of South Korea in September 2014 ending on September 26. The tour was highlighted by a performance in Seoul together with South Korea’s best children’s chorale to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Philippines-South Korea relations.

Besides China, the LCC has performed twice in Europe, twice in the United Sates, in Singapore, and in Vietnam on 19-12 December 2013. The LCC has performed at variety of occasions performing before cultural communities, diplomatic communities, and dignitaries with no less than Queen Sofia of Spain and the beloved late Pope John Paul II in attendance.

The LCC regularly sings for Sunday mass at the local Loboc parish. They perform outreach concerts at orphanages, hospitals, and schools. Lately, they have been engaged in helping raise funds for the restoration of churches, homes, schools, and heritage sites of Bohol which were devastated by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake of October 2013.