Poly-Sonus Poly-Ritmus Polymorphe is a concert of the Sibol Guitar Octet from the UST Conservatory of Music. My nephew is part of this octet so my family and I were there to watch and support him. It was held at Varlez Pianos along Ortigas, just right across Greenhills Mall.
I believe this is the first solo concert of Sibol as their past performances were always part of a larger show. They played a few pieces that they had already performed before. They played Attic for Nine Guitars by Andrew York which they played during Natividad en Familia. They also performed all four pieces that they played during Kaliwa't Kanang Kalabitan: Introduction et Fandango from Quintet no. 4 in D, G, 445 by Luigi Boccherini and movements I, III, and VIII of Suite Polymorphe. The rest of my family was unable to see my nephew play during Kaliwa't Kanang Kalabitan because they got stuck in horrific traffic caused by a flash flood and they didn't make it in time so I'm happy they finally got to see Sibol perform these pieces.
Of course, they played a whole lot more music that evening. They opened the set with five movements of Danças Populares Brasileiras by Celso Machado. These pieces - I. Catira, II. Cantiga (Minar), III. Frevo, IV. Ciranda (Roda, Roda), and V. Ponteio - are all very lively and engaging. It was such a great way to open their show. They also played a trio of Filipino songs which I absolutely loved. These included Minamahal Kita by Miguel Verlarde Jr., Ang Pipit by Levi Celerio, and Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak by Leopoldo Silos. I told my mom after the concert that I wished my grandparents were still alive so they could have seen my nephew and his group perform this because Minamahal Kita was their theme song. And while I am quite familiar with Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak, I felt like I was discovering it for the first time because I found myself being absolutely moved it. I never realized how beautiful, haunting, and poignant it is. Maybe the exquisite arrangement by Assistant Professor Alberto Mesa and the exceptional and very evocative way that Sibol played it made me appreciate it more.
They also performed the entire Suite Polymorphe by Roland Dyens. This set of 8 movements is immensely difficult to play and it was such a joy to see my nephew perform it so well with the rest of the Sibol Guitar Octet. It seems logical that this suite served as the inspiration for the title of the concert: Poly-Sonus Poly-Ritmus Polymorphe. UST Conservatory of Music Assistant Professor Alberto Mesa explained to the audience that the title means that this concert showcased music of different sounds, different rhythms, and different forms.
One really cool thing about this event was that several posters were printed out for people to purchase. Being the supportive family that we were, we got one. Once the concert ended, Asst. Prof. Mesa suggested to the audience that we could have our posters signed by the members of the octet so we did. After this announcement, all remaining posters were sold very quickly. It was nice having our poster signed by everyone from Sibol, including their mentor Asst. Prof. Mesa and their guest performer who is also from the UST Conservatory of Music.
To celebrate the success of this event, my family and a few of my nephew's friends had dinner at Prologue right in front of Greenhills Mall. It was the first time for many (or maybe even all?) of them to eat at Prologue so I'm happy I got to give my family a new experience.
I really loved this concert for so many reasons. I loved seeing my nephew and the Sibol Guitar Octet perform together. I loved how they challenged themselves by playing difficult pieces. I loved how varied their repertoire was and how it allowed me to discover new music. And it makes me really proud that my nephew continues to live his passion and is part of such a talented group. They have another concert coming up next month and I am definitely looking forward to it.
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