“MAGNIFICENT” is the word that best describes the performance of the “Song of Joseph” at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

It’s a musical drama about the life and love of Joseph for Mary which blends remarkably classical music with Broadway-like and pop-rock songs and even touches of Gregorian chants.

The libretto was written by Fides Cuyugan Asensio, operatic diva and guru, her first musical and seventh music theater work. The scores for the songs and orchestra were composed by Raymond Roldan, the musical director, and his wife Jeannelle Bihag Roldan, who also sang and played the roles of “Elizabeth,” Mary’s cousin, and “Ester,” the adulterer who was stoned to death.

The musicale is focused on the “divinely-inspired marriage” of Joseph and Mary. It’s in two Acts with thirteen scenes. And the most moving scenes, to me, are the “Annunciation of the Virgin,” the “Revelation of Mary,” and the “Visitation”, and “Joseph’s Dream.” These were drawn from the Biblical passages in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew.

In the Gospel of Luke, the angel told Mary “thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call him Jesus. Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall that be, seeing I know not a man?”

In the Gospel of Matthew, the only other Biblical account of Jesus’ birth, the story is told from Joseph’s point of view. Upon learning that his betrothed Mary is “with child of the Holy Ghost,” he thought of “putting her away privily.” But a dream transformed his views when an angel tells him that the father of Mary’s child is God himself.

“That’s why Fr. Rony B. Alkonga, Provincial Superior of the Oblates of St. Joseph in the Philippines called the “Song of Joseph” a religious-theater masterpiece.”

The role of “Joseph” was acted superbly and sang with ardor by Jon Joven. He has extensive Broadway and off-Broadway experiences, as well as on the Philippine stage.

The role of “Mary” was superbly dramatized and sang with soaring passion by Tricia Jimenez. She took up voice at the UP Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Ms. Asensio.

The other performers who also gave life and luster to the story of Joseph, with their magnificent acting and singing in their respective roles, were Maricris Joaquin as “Rebekak,” Emelyn Olfindo as “Hannah,” Jennifer Villagas as “Ruth,” Charlene de Asis Magalit as “Debbie,” Conrado “Dondi” Ong as “King Herod,” Edwin Decenteceo as “Jacob” and “Efraim,” Greg de Leon as “King Melchor” and “Joaquim,” Agripino del Fierro as “King Gaspar,” and Adriel Exconde as the “Young Jesus” and Miguel Aguila as the “Teenage Jesus.”

The “Song of David” was produced and presented by the Oblates of St. Joseph, according to Fr. Alkonga, “to promote the devotion to St. Joseph, the just and faithful husband of Mary and foster father of the Child Jesus.”

***The musicale “Song of Joseph” is really a romanticized story of the life, love and death of St. Joseph.

As a young man he courted Mary. After their betrothal had taken place, with the marriage ceremony still several months away, Mary told her parents that she was with child and that it happened soon after an angel visited her and said she was chosen to bear the Messiah.

Upon learning this, Joseph was at first devastated, but his overpowering love for Mary kept him silent until in a dream an angel dispelled his unease over her condition and told him that the father of Mary’s child was God.

The birth of Jesus was indeed miraculous. But, according to Biblical scholars, there were other instances of similarly miraculous births.

They cited this passage in Genesis 17:19 about Abraham’s wife, Sarah: “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac.”

From Sarah conceiving Isaac to Hannah bearing Samuel, miraculous births have deep roots in Judaism. Mary’s purity, however, is distinctive, for the other Biblical examples of God’s granting children to the aged or the barren do not involve virgins but ordinary married women.

The myths surrounding Caesar Augustus, who reigned as emperor from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, were not dissimilar to the imagery that the Gospels of Luke and Matthew used to describe the birth of Jesus.

Omens had heralded the birth of Augustus, which was itself the result of divine intervention, according to Virgil’s Fourth Epilogue in 40 B.C. “Upon the Child now to be born, under whom the race of iron will cease and a golden race will spring up over the whole world …smile favorably, for your own Apollo is now King.”

Indeed, these parallels to the story of Jesus seem to follow the same pattern. A deity chooses to send a son from the divine to the temporal world through a woman, the glorious news of the coming of a king is made known to others, and the woman’s loyal husband, rather than recoiling, is included in the revelation.

But none of those figures in ancient history was a product of a Christ-like conception as portrayed in the Gospels. In fact, scholars of antiquity have not found another example that mirrors the Luke’s “Annunciation” and Matthew’s “Joseph’s Dream.”

These two and other moving events in the Gospels came to life vividly in the magnificent performance of young Filipino singers and actors in that musical drama of the “Song of Joseph.”

We spent a whole afternoon talking with Fides Asensio, soprano and now librettis and lyricist of the musical Song of Joseph, along with composers Jaeannelle Bihag Roldan and Raymond Roldan, also with singers Jon Joven who plays Jesus, Arlynne Lupas Tecson, and Tricia Amper who will alternate as Mary.

We started with Fides.

Song of Joseph is your seventh music theater work.How do you feel about this latest “ baby”? A pop musical no less!

I was tapped by his fingers, I feel trapped, awed and overwhelmed! Joseph the foster father of Jesus is not exactly the central figure I would have chosen to write about in a story for a musical. I almost refused Joy Rago, our production manager and the person who tapped my shoulder. (It was no spiritual happening.) She informed me casually about it almost like a joke. “Your next libretto is about Joseph.” I had only a Christmas season acquaintanceship with Joseph —when my parents would lovingly take the resin statue out of a storage box and carefully put him beside Mary gazing into a crib lined with hay in which a tiny figure of a baby lay. I loved Mary and the baby but I was terrified of Joseph, it must have been the beard and all that hair.!

So how did you begin to work on your first musical?

I researched through four books on Joseph which actually didn’t help much to write a credible story line on a person who is never quoted as having said anything. In the books, Joseph is as silent (mute) as the resin figure I had seen every Christmas in the “belen” at home. A lot about him is speculatory and contradictory except for the fact that he was a carpenter, the spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus. A childhood friend of mine asked me to please not portray Joseph as an old man but young, virile and handsome. As soon as I “shaved” off Joseph’s beard and cut short his long flowing hair, Joseph the human man, handsome and macho emerged falling in love with a 15-year-old village girl named Maryland. “Song of Joseph,” the musical on Joseph’s love, life and death, took off on the Angel Gabriel’s wings.

We turned our attention to Jeannelle who, along with her husband Raymond, wrote the score.

Oh, you are the better half of the composer Raymond and I see you are also the other half of the composing duo. In your professional teamup, are you the better half?

Half and half, sir.

What strikes me is how you work in tandem—is this a case of the biblical Ruth telling her mother-in-law “where you go I go? (And you also sing together! A classical duo tenor and soprano)

Perhaps, yes. This is our first major work together as composers. It’s a real challenge for us. There are so many scenes and songs but this script is tailor-made for Raymond with all the references to the happenings in the biblical times.

Are you singing in the Song of Joseph? It must be easy composing music for yourselves. What are your roles?

I sing Elizabeth and Ester the Adulterer. Raymond sings Herod.

To Raymond, we asked:

Why do you say composing music for such a musical as Song of Joseph is a purging for you. What is there in your young life that you need to purge?

You see sir as a seminarian of the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in Naga City, I was steeply trained in Gregorian Music and immersed in spiritual activities. After so much “sacred immersion,” I felt there was something I was missing of the life outside the seminary walls. I left the seminary, joined the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, traveled the world, sang in Zarzuelas, opera, musical plays, joined National and International Vocal Competitions—practically the gamut of secular music. I even had a stint as a singing ring master in a touring circus in Malaysia. I have no regrets but I felt I had to “purge” some of that from my life and pick up my theme of singing and now composing all for the Glory of the Lord God !

You mean Song of Joseph is an Oratorio?

No. No. Song of Joseph is the ideal instrument for “purging.” It combines the humanness of Joseph in romantic love and his saintly virtues of faith and forgiveness.

In other words, Song of Joseph the musical has inspired you to work all for the glory of the Lord God Raymond. I thoroughly understand what you feel having been behind those seminary walls myself.

In the course of the conversation, we turned our attention to Arlynne, Jon Joven, and Tricia Amper who are playing the musical’s lead roles.

You have done a mixed bag of roles on stage operas, musicals and straight plays and have garnered warm critical and audience acceptance. Now you are essaying the role of Mary in the new musical Song of Joseph. What do you feel about the role?

Arlynne: Actually I have always been fond of working with Tita Fides and I welcome yet another chance of performing in her latest musical creation. I have a feeling, though, she has typecasted me (laughter) as Mary. I play a young vulnerable 15 years old much like my role as Angela in her Mayo Bisperas ng Liwanag Opera.

Yes you do look like a 15-year-old and virginal (ha! ha!). I think we will not go into that. There are two Marys and one Joseph. Why?

Arlynne: I think young singing actors like Jon Joven are hard to find. Because of the emotions invoked by the lyrics and musical style, the composer is constrained to bring the vocal line to the limit of the upper range and Jon, it seems, can go on and on to the next higher note everytime he sings the highest note in the musical. Actually this would not be too problematical if this work is in the opera genre.

Oh, you sound like a voice teacher.

Arlynne: Well, yes I am. I teach voice—classical or “bel Canto.” Singing the roles in Broadway Pop Musical style is an adjustment many classical singers now have to make if one’s goal as a singing actor is to keep singing on stage.

Reading your profile as a musical theater performer, I get the impression you have done several powerful major roles on the musical stage. Will you be infusing any of the characters you have played into the role of Joseph, foster father of Jesus in the new musical Song of Joseph? What is your take on the character of Joseph?

Jon: I have always enjoyed exploring something that is beyond everything I know, immersing myself in that which is unknown in order to know and taking the role of Joseph is just that. Joseph is never quoted in Biblical literature, very little is written about him, hard, indisputable facts, but as a human being and a father to a baby of human flesh and blood. It was easy for me to relate to him being a father myself. But there the analogy ends and the problem begins.

Why do say so?

Jon: How would I act as the father of the son of God? To carry him in my arms and be called father of Jesus? It’s mind boggling! And then how could I accept Mary, my beloved, the mother of Jesus, my bethtrothed yet not my wife as it was in the early Jewish tradition not touch to her, much less bed her, and then to find out she is with child? Ayayay!

It is a shocker! How is the script treatment?

Jon: It’s a power-packed script really. Joseph in Ms. Asensio’s script goes bananas (or totally insane) understandably so. Tita Fides has written in several “shockers” for this new musical which is posing a huge challenge for me as a singing actor. I can only pray I will do justice to the role.

You were gone for quite some time from the music theater stage. You are best remembered for your role as Kris (Aquino) in the musical Bongbong at Kris. What has brought you back to the musical stage?

Tricia: I left the musical theater scene to continue my studies. While studying, I sang classical songs and opera arias as required by the curriculum for the University of the Philippines College of Music, Dance and Theater Department. After graduation from college, I got married and became more than a stage performer, a mother to my four sons and wife to my husband Butch (Jimenez). Now that our children are at the threshold of adulthood and independence, I can feel I can give some time to an activity I love and left. So here I am.

Welcome back Tricia! Why did you choose Mary for your comeback role?

I had always wanted to perform in a music theater work my voice mentor wrote, but I had never envisioned myself playing Mary, mother of Jesus! I have to think back many years (laughter) to get into the teen years when Mary is first seen and heard in the Song of Joseph. It’s a good thing I don’t have to remove as many pounds since we are wearing long loose costumes.

How do you feel about doing a comeback?

Tricia: Excited and elated! I have had the great fortune of being the first to essay the major roles in new musicals early in my singing career and now after all of these years I get to do Mary, the mother of Jesus for my comeback to the musical stage.

Song of Joseph runs at the Meralco Theater on Nov. 18, 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. — Isah V. Red

Nenen Espina, soprano
Naomi Sison, soprano
Raymond Roldan, tenor
Peter Porticos, piano
Ruben Reyes, guitar

featuring the songs Madaling Araw, Nasaan Ka Irog, Pakiusap, Leron-Leron Sinta, Pobreng Alindahaw, Kay Tamis ng Buhay, Kalesa, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal and Bayan Ko.

Admission is free.

The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies invites the community to “Papugay,” a concert in honor of Rolando Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera, Nicanor Tiongson, and Jose Lacaba, on Tuesday, 22 September 2009, 6:00 p.m., at the Escaler Hall, SEC, Ateneo Loyola Heights campus.

Tinio, Lumbera, Tiongson, and Lacaba walked the grounds of the Ateneo in the 1960s. They soon became and have remained four of the more distinguished faculty members and alumni of Ateneo. All four are also recipients of the Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi.

A selection of their translations and original works will be performed by sopranos Joanna Ong Go and Naomi Sison, tenor Raymond Roldan, and crooner Michael Coroza of the Kagawaran ng Filipino. Jonathan Arevalo Coo accompanies them on a Bosendorfer (est. 1828), the piano of choice of Franz Liszt.

The concert is free.

RSVP Raquel or Cherrie at 426-6001 local 5340.

It was during this time when he won first place in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1990, and was invited as featured artist in the National Music Festival in Iloilo City in 1991. After graduation he taught English Literature for a year at the Colegio de Santa Isabel and the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary. When he decided to pursue musical studies at the University of the Philippines College of Music, it was there that he embarked on a colorful musical journey as a singer, teacher and musician.

Roldan completed a course in Italian Opera Art offered by the Cursos Internacional de Canto Francisco Viñas in Barcelona, Spain, under the tutelage of famous soprano Magda Olivero. There he also competed in the prestigious FRANCISCO VINAS INTERNATIONAL SINGING COMPETITION with more than 200 participants throughout the world, and received positive comments from the Panel of Judges. He also was a finalist in the 1997 MARY GARDEN INTERNATIONAL SINGING PRIZE in Aberdeen, Scotland.

In 2009 Roldan was tenor soloist of Georges Bizet’s TE DEUM with Jeannelle Bihag, Jai Sabas Aracama and the Manila Symphony Orchestra in MASTERWORKS, Ballet Philippines 40th anniversary presentation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines . Roldan also sang the role of Foresto in the Philippine premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera ATTILA, with Jeannelle Bihag, Rainier Cruz, Reuel Tica at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium, University of the Philippines. He was also featured in NBN 4 weekly show PACO PARK PRESENTS in celebration of Women’s Month with soprano Jeannelle Bihag and pianist Fiona Rivera, and the 2009 Philippine Independence Celebration CANCIONES ESPANOL Y FILIPINO concert at the Podium.

Roldan was music conductor of the musical FACES OF LOVE, performed at the RCBC Yuchengco Auditorium, Makati City. He is also slated to compose SONGS OF ST. JOSEPH, the musical with Fides Cuyugan-Asensio as librettist at the Meralco Theatre, Manila on November 2009 .

In 2008 Roldan was featured in the opera L’ELISIR D’AMORE as Nemorino, with Jeannelle Bihag as Adina at the University of the Philippines Dalisay Aldaba Hall, UP Theatre. He was also part of the 2008 WORLD VOICE DAY Medical City celebration concert with soprano Joscephine Gomez and baritone Vladimir Valera.In 2007 Raymond and his wife Jeannelle were featured as the SINGING SWEETHEARTS in the PRELUDIUM concert, together with the Choraliers, Bert Robledo and Dean Raul Sunico. He also sang the role of Marcello in Giacomo Puccini’s opera LA BOHEME. It was the same year that the couple were invited to be part of the ROYAL LONDON CIRCUS as the Singing Ringmaster and the Singing Princess, where they toured parts of Western Malaysia together with their son Giancarlo Ray.

In 2006 Raymond and his wife Jeannelle were invited by the Amade Virlaine Foundation to perform in the presence of Prince Andrea Casiraghi of Monaco in his visit to the Philippines. The same year Raymond performed the tenor part in W A Mozart’s opera DER SHAUSPIELDIREKTOR as part of the MOZART AT THE MALLS series at the Podium and The Block SM North EDSA together with the UP Symphony Orchestra, and the tenor soloist of the UP College of Music Christmas production of G F Handel’s MESSIAH at the Nicanor Abelardo Hall. In October 2005 Roldan was featured in a solo concert at PACO PARK PRESENTS, where he performed arias from TURANDOT, L’ARLESIANA, L’AMICO FRITZ, LA BOHEME and WEST SIDE STORY. In February 2005 he was featured in the concert AN EVENING WITH FILIPINO TENORS: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO NATIONAL ARTIST LEONOR OROSA GOQUINGCO.

In 2004 he was seen with the best in Philippine Music Theatre in the 3rd NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He is cast as the lead role of Tino in the Filipino zarzuela HIBIK AT HIMAGSIK NINA VICTORIA LAKTAW, written by Lucien Letaba and National Artist Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera. In 2003 he was chosen to be the tenor soloist of Vaughan Williams work A SERENADE TO MUSIC in the International Gala Night of the 2003 ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL with the Netherlands Youth Symphony Orchestra and the UP Concert Chorus in Scotland.

Roldan debuted his first solo international performance at the World View Festival at Sacramento, California, USA, with the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra as the soloist of National Artist Lucio San Pedro’s SA DALAMPASIGAN. From then on he has worked with various music ensembles in the Philippines, among then the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Metro Manila Community Orchestra, the UP Festival Orchestra, the Crosswave Symphony Orchestra and the Velvet Mood Music Ensemble.
From 2002 till 2008 Roldan was voice instructor at WORKSHOPS@ABS-CBN, under the supervision of Beverly Vergel and Johnny Manahan, where he tutored up-and- coming talents of STAR CIRCLE and STAR MAGIC.

It was during this time when he won first place in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1990, and was invited as featured artist in the National Music Festival in Iloilo City in 1991. After graduation he taught English Literature for a year at the Colegio de Santa Isabel and the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary. When he decided to pursue musical studies at the University of the Philippines College of Music, it was there that he embarked on a colorful musical journey as a singer, teacher and musician.

Roldan completed a course in Italian Opera Art offered by the Cursos Internacional de Canto Francisco Viñas in Barcelona, Spain, under the tutelage of famous soprano Magda Olivero. There he also competed in the prestigious FRANCISCO VINAS INTERNATIONAL SINGING COMPETITION with more than 200 participants throughout the world, and received positive comments from the Panel of Judges. He also was a finalist in the 1997 MARY GARDEN INTERNATIONAL SINGING PRIZE in Aberdeen, Scotland.

In 2009 Roldan was tenor soloist of Georges Bizet’s TE DEUM with Jeannelle Bihag, Jai Sabas Aracama and the Manila Symphony Orchestra in MASTERWORKS, Ballet Philippines 40th anniversary presentation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines . Roldan also sang the role of Foresto in the Philippine premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera ATTILA, with Jeannelle Bihag, Rainier Cruz, Reuel Tica at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium, University of the Philippines. He was also featured in NBN 4 weekly show PACO PARK PRESENTS in celebration of Women’s Month with soprano Jeannelle Bihag and pianist Fiona Rivera, and the 2009 Philippine Independence Celebration CANCIONES ESPANOL Y FILIPINO concert at the Podium.

Roldan was music conductor of the musical FACES OF LOVE, performed at the RCBC Yuchengco Auditorium, Makati City. He is also slated to compose SONGS OF ST. JOSEPH, the musical with Fides Cuyugan-Asensio as librettist at the Meralco Theatre, Manila on November 2009 .

In 2008 Roldan was featured in the opera L’ELISIR D’AMORE as Nemorino, with Jeannelle Bihag as Adina at the University of the Philippines Dalisay Aldaba Hall, UP Theatre. He was also part of the 2008 WORLD VOICE DAY Medical City celebration concert with soprano Joscephine Gomez and baritone Vladimir Valera.In 2007 Raymond and his wife Jeannelle were featured as the SINGING SWEETHEARTS in the PRELUDIUM concert, together with the Choraliers, Bert Robledo and Dean Raul Sunico. He also sang the role of Marcello in Giacomo Puccini’s opera LA BOHEME. It was the same year that the couple were invited to be part of the ROYAL LONDON CIRCUS as the Singing Ringmaster and the Singing Princess, where they toured parts of Western Malaysia together with their son Giancarlo Ray.

In 2006 Raymond and his wife Jeannelle were invited by the Amade Virlaine Foundation to perform in the presence of Prince Andrea Casiraghi of Monaco in his visit to the Philippines. The same year Raymond performed the tenor part in W A Mozart’s opera DER SHAUSPIELDIREKTOR as part of the MOZART AT THE MALLS series at the Podium and The Block SM North EDSA together with the UP Symphony Orchestra, and the tenor soloist of the UP College of Music Christmas production of G F Handel’s MESSIAH at the Nicanor Abelardo Hall. In October 2005 Roldan was featured in a solo concert at PACO PARK PRESENTS, where he performed arias from TURANDOT, L’ARLESIANA, L’AMICO FRITZ, LA BOHEME and WEST SIDE STORY. In February 2005 he was featured in the concert AN EVENING WITH FILIPINO TENORS: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO NATIONAL ARTIST LEONOR OROSA GOQUINGCO.

In 2004 he was seen with the best in Philippine Music Theatre in the 3rd NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He is cast as the lead role of Tino in the Filipino zarzuela HIBIK AT HIMAGSIK NINA VICTORIA LAKTAW, written by Lucien Letaba and National Artist Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera. In 2003 he was chosen to be the tenor soloist of Vaughan Williams work A SERENADE TO MUSIC in the International Gala Night of the 2003 ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL with the Netherlands Youth Symphony Orchestra and the UP Concert Chorus in Scotland.

Roldan debuted his first solo international performance at the World View Festival at Sacramento, California, USA, with the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra as the soloist of National Artist Lucio San Pedro’s SA DALAMPASIGAN. From then on he has worked with various music ensembles in the Philippines, among then the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Metro Manila Community Orchestra, the UP Festival Orchestra, the Crosswave Symphony Orchestra and the Velvet Mood Music Ensemble.
From 2002 till 2008 Roldan was voice instructor at WORKSHOPS@ABS-CBN, under the supervision of Beverly Vergel and Johnny Manahan, where he tutored up-and- coming talents of STAR CIRCLE and STAR MAGIC.