Choral Music - Nilo Alcala
www.niloalcala.com

Choral Music - Nilo Alcala

Papanok A Lakitan (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala 
Live concert recording of the Philippine Madrigal Singers at Yale University

Papanok A Lakitan (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

I Am Here with You Always (music Nilo Alcala II, text Reggie Alcala)  
World Premiere - Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
Samford A Cappella Choir  |  Philip Copeland, conductor

On the 20th of January 2021, I lost my dear Mother Reggie to pancreatic cancer. A few days before she breathed her last, I found this original poem of her’s written on the inside front cover of her journal with instructions to share the poem at her wake. Setting her poem into music was not easy, yet truly cathartic and quite healing.


See me in each butterfly
     emerging from its cocoon.

Hear me in the rustling
     of the falling leaves.

Kiss me back when the soft breeze 
     kisses you.

Feel me when your heart
     beats in joy and in sorrow.

I am here with you 
 …always

I Am Here with You Always (music: Nilo Alcala II/text: Reggie Alcala)Samford Acappella Choir

𝐒𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐙 𝐍𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐃 (Without Peace or Dignity)*
(from Nuestra Patria, the original Spanish text of 𝐁𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐍 𝐊𝐎)
Letra: 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨, Musica: 𝐍𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚 

Commissioned by Raoul 'Miggi' Angangco for the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Conductor’s Chorus

Composer’s Notes

The song 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐨 (My Homeland) ranks second only to the Philippine National Anthem as the nation’s most well known and beloved patriotic air. It gained renown especially at the time of the EDSA“People Power” — a bloodless revolution that deposed the Marcos Regime in 1986.

Yet not many know that the original text was in Spanish attributed to Gen. 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 and written in light of the 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞-𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐫 from February 4, 1899, to 1902. (Prior to this occupation, the Philippines was a colony of Spain from 1571 to 1898 — totaling 327 years of Spanish tyrannical rule, and yet with it came literacy in the Spanish language.) Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos died in the Philippine-American war, and the Philippines became a territory and later a Commonwealth of the United States until 1946.

Alejandrino’s text directly points a finger to the 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐨-𝐒𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐧𝐬 while the popular Tagalog translation by 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 a.k.a 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 points out the dayuhan — the foreigner. This setting opted to 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 anglosajon with 𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐨 — “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥” to dissipate hate towards a specific race, and to also show that oppression today comes in many forms and from different types of power and privilege. The setting also omits “Filipinas’ to refer only to Patria or Homeland as any group of people can relate to oppression.

The song Bayan Ko is written in kundiman form — an art song structure usually in moderate triple meter, beginning in a minor key and ending in it’s parallel major. Sin Paz Ni Dignidad (Without Peace or Dignity) 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 the kundiman form and uses these ‘deconstructed fragments’ throughout the piece. It also loosely alludes to music of the ‘collective colonizers’ incorporating fragments of a deconstructed habanera as well as moments of pseudo-polyphony and melismatic runs. - Nilo Alcala

*Commissioned by Miggi Angangco for the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Conductor’s Chorus)

Sin Paz Ni Dignidad (Nilo Alcala) - Live (excerpt)

Kaisa-Isa Niyan
Nilo Alcala
Performed by the Philippine Madrigal Singers


(Maguindanaon dialect)
Kaisa-isa niyan, 
Kaduwa-duwa niyan 
Katelo-telo niyan Kapating ginapatan 
Kalima ni tagedtal 
Kanem i dagedeban 
Kapito-pito naga 
Kawalo barubugan 
Kasiyam kabankaban 
Kasapolo bindasan

(English translation)
Only one
Only two
Only three
Four work alternately 
Five, too heavy, it disturbs 
Six, a sound so loud 
Seven, a dragon
Eight pounds heavily 
Nine, a box
Ten, a drawer


A composition based on a children’s game chant from Maguindanao, Philippines. This was premiered by the Philippine Madrigal Singers at the 2007 European Choral Grand Prix hosted by the Concorso Polifonico Guido d’Arezzo. This historic victory earned the Madz its title of being the very first choir in the world to win the Grand Prix twice.

Kaisa-isa Niyan (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Sa Silong Ng Langit (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala
Philippine Madrigal Singers

Sa Silong Ng Langit (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Dogalen A Mabaso (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala
Philippine Madrigal Singers

Dogalen a Mabaso is a folk tale from the Maranao people of Southern Philippines. Here's the English translation of the tale:

Hear Dogalen a Mabaso's story - a woman who fell in love with Sultan Sa Ilaho.

She snatched a lucky charm from an old woman to enchant him. But the lucky charm fell from Dogalen a Mabaso's window and into Raga Batagigirao's hands. Then Sultan Sa Ilaho passed by and Raga presented the lucky charm to him. He was lured by the charm and fell in love with Raga Batagigirao, breaking Dogalen a Mabaso's heart.

Dogalen A Mabaso (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Agnus Dei (excerpt)
Nilo Alcala
Philippine Madrigal Singers

Agnus Dei (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

TIptipa Kemmakem (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Raffles Voices	

Tiptipa Kemmakem is a gibberish game chant of children  from  Bontoc, Mountain Province in Northern Philippines.  Players sit or stand in any formation and on the word "tiptipa" clap hands on the beat.  The children then close and open  their fingers on the word "kemmakem" done also on the beat.


*text: Traditional spoken rhyme from Bontoc, Philippines.


Tiptipa Kemmakem (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Raffles Voices

Ollonno
Nilo Alcala
folksong from Bontoc, Mountain Province The Philippines

Ollonno, adi ak maka-isu,
Tay publi ak ay tako, wen, 
Adiak maka-isu,
Ollonno, ensemek ka's mamitlo, 
Enta-et is afong yo, wen, 
Ensemek ka-as mamitlo

Tagalog Tsanslation (by Miriam Factora)
Ollonno, di kita mapantayan 
Dahil sa 'koy mahirap lamang 
Di kita mapantayan
Ollonno, mag-isip ka ng husto 
Tara sa 'yong magandang bahay 
Pag-isipan mo ng husto

English Translation
Ollonno, to equal, I cannot 
Because of money, I have not 
Yes money, I have not
Ollonno, you think thrice
Let's go home to your house so nice 
Yes, just think thrice.

Ollonno (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

FULL AUDIO here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjejbPKn7js

SONG OF THE NIGHT
music: Nilo Alcala, text: Mawlana Jalal-ad-din Rumi) 
The Esoterics (Eric Banks, dir.)


Oh, do not sleep friend, through this night.  
You a soul, while we are suff’ring through this night  
Banish slumber from your eyes!  
The great secret is revealed in this night.  
You are Jove in the high heavens,  
Round heav’n’s starry dome you circle in this night!  
Like an eagle fly above!  
Now a hero is your soul in this night.  
Such a quiet, others sleep…  
I and God alone together in this night!  
What a roar! Joy arises
Truth with gleaming wing is shining in this night! 
Do not sleep friend,  
If I slumbered until sunrise,  
I should never, never see this night again!  
Thorough fares on earth are silent.  
There behold the starry roads of this night.  
Leo, Orion,  
Sagittarius and the Virgin blood‐red gleam through this night.  
Saturn binds with fateful powers,  
Venus floats in golden rain through this night.  
Silence binds my tongue with fetters,  
But I speak though tongueless in this night!  

--- o --- o --- o ---

Song Of The Night (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/The Esoterics (Eric Banks, dir.)

Suk Suk Fegesuk
Philippine Madrigal Singers
music: Nilo Alcala
text: traditional Tiruray chant
(Cotabato City, Southern Philippines)

Suk suk fegesuk
Senuksuk tosong rebuk!

rough English translation:

Stab, stab with a knife! 
Stab a hole on that bamboo!


Suk Suk Fegesuk (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Pater Noster (Our Father)
Nilo Alcala
Philippine Madrigal Singers
Perusal Score: https://issuu.com/niloalcala/docs/pater_noster_sssaa__perusal__

PATER NOSTER, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Pater Noster (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Song Of Dawn (excerpt)
music: Nilo Alcala
text: Anuraj Manibhandu
Philippine Madrigal Singers


Glints of gold play in a sea of grey
Morning has come, the chill is abating
Thin is the mist as the sun rises
An orb almost orange, a glow evolving
Quiet keeps the peace as creatures stir
A warm day has begun, one so inviting



Song Of Dawn (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Bagbagto
Nilo Alcala
Philippine Madrigal Singers


BAGBAGTO or Stone War is a composition based on a well-known gibberish chant of the Igorot tribe from Mountain Province in the Philippines. A tradition that is not practiced anymore, the chanting of Bagbagto is done during the dry season to ensure a good harvest:

The Igorots assembled at a dry river bed where opposing teams faced each other across the river and proceeded to throw stones. Those who were able to cross the river bed amidst a hail of stones are declared victors. Losers and victors alike received wounds and lost teeth but a bloody battle was thought to ensure a good crop of sweet potato. Curiously...no revenge was taken by the losers and the maimed were helped by the victors to get up and get assistance from the local herb doctors to stop the bleeding. (source: Physical Activities in the Philippines During the Pre-Spanish Period by Janice Ann Beran, Iowa State University)


Bagbagto/Stone Wars (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Kusiilo Si Bao (The turtle is a Chef* - Nilo Alcala
*composition based on a folk chant from Maguindanao, Philippines

performed by The Archipelago Singers, Indonesia
(Ega O. Azarya,  dir.)

Dendi dendi, dendi dendi,
Dendi dendi, dendi bona dendi.
	Kusinilo si bao ka aya na kumpalito
Dendi bona dendi 
	Kukulan a ulonin na da pulane tiyanin.	
Dendi bona dendi (dendi bona dendi)
	Ikog gin ka kaluda, dendi, bona dendi,
Dendi o dendi, dendi o dendi 
	Kayo banso ang amin, a dendi bona dendi	


Rough Translation:

Dendi dendi, dendi dendi,
Dendi dendi, dendi bona dendi.
	The turtle is a good chef, a complete kitchen too
Dendi bona dendi 
	His head is the grater; his stomach is the stove
Dendi bona dendi 
	His tail is the ladle, dendi, bona dendi,	
Dendi o dendi, dendi o dendi 
	And his legs are firewood, a dendi bona dendi	


Kusinilo Si Bao (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/The Archipelago Singers

La noche de mil noches 
(text: from "Cataclismo" by Pablo Neruda 1904-1973)
 
La noche de mil noches y una noche, 
la sombra de mil sombras y un latido, 
el agua de mil aguas que cayeron, 
el fuego destapando sus embudos, 
la ceniza vestida de medusa, 
la tierra dando un grito. 

Hombre soy, por qué nací en la tierra? 

Dónde está mi mortaja? 

Ésta es la muerte?


English translation:

The night of a thousand and one nights
the shadow of a thousand shadows and a heartbeat,
the water of a thousand waters falling,
fire uncovering funnels,
ashes dressed up like Medusa,
the Earth’s lamentation.

I am a man. Why was I born to earth?

Where is the shroud?

Is this death?


La noche de mil noches (excerpt) Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Dayo Dayo Kupita (excerpt)
Nilo Alcala
Philippine Madrigal Singers

(Based on a Maranao play chant)

Dayo Dayo Kupita
Dayo sumung ta sa eg

Dayo dia ko ron zong
Ana ekulak kakun,

Baba rukka a nipay a torisan a buaya

Dayo dika pukuluk
Dodon sibapa a ka
Gogo maan sa kitab
Kukulong sa koraan.


English Translation:

Friend, it is morning!
Friend, let us go to the river.

Friend, I will not go there,
because I am afraid of the spotted snake 
and the striped crocodile.

Friend, do not be afraid!
Your uncle is here with the law and
the Qur’an as his weapons.


Dayo Dayo Kupita (excerpt)- Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

Ceremonial Burning
words and music by Nilo Alcala

I have fears to burn			
Thoughts too ill to let pervade
I know a flame that quickens inside must purge these wraiths.

I fan this flame and it craves for more kindling.
This torch of courage burns them, nothing escapes.

And when the embers have died
There’s new light…
from the ash

Behold this blaze inside my heart.


Ceremonial Burning (excerpt) - Nilo Alcala/Philippine Madrigal Singers

III. SAGAYÁN (from Mangá Pakalagián) 
Composer:  NILO ALCALA
performed by the Philippine Madrigal Singers
at the 2017 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing


(COMPOSER'S NOTES on MANGA PAKALAGIAN)

Ceremonies: music and community
The playing of kulintang (which refers both to the repertoire played as well as the actual instrumental set of bossed gongs) — is very much integrated in the everyday life of Mindanao communities especially in Maguindanao where the Kalanduyans hail from.  In almost every occasion, there is a specific kulintang piece to be played;  the playing of this music somewhat elevates a community event or ritual into “ceremony status”. 

Mangá Pakalagián is a suite of 3 choral works  that highlight ceremonies or rituals with kulintang at the forefront: 1) welcoming and honoring guests, 2) thanksgiving during harvest, and 3) invoking invincibility in a pre-battle/war ritual.  The three choral pieces are to be introduced by actual traditional kulintang repertoire specific to those ceremonies/rituals, namely 1) Kapagonor, 2) Kaluntang, and 3) Tagonggo.   It took several visits and interviews with Guru Danny, as well as months of personal research before I was able to delimit the scope of the ceremonies to these three.  I then wrote the texts for all three pieces of the suite which was then translated by Guru Danny into his Maguindanaon dialect. 


Ceremony 3:  SAGAYAN (Pre-Battle Ritual)
The traditional kulintang music Tagonggo that opens this ceremony, is originally not intended to be played in concerts.  It is actual ritual music used in 1) healing rituals, 2) driving away negative energy/spirits, and 3) at a pre-war ceremony to invoke invincibility and power.  The playing of Tagonggo  pre-dates Islamic Maguindanao and nowadays has interestingly evolved into music that signifies important festive events, like wedding ceremonies.   Sagayan, the title of the choral work, focuses on the pre-battle aspect of the ritual and is also the traditional name of the dance ritual that is accompanied by Tagonggo. 

Related to this pre-battle ritual is Kasalawat, a practice of chanting to seek for blessing. The choral piece begins with a Male solo chant,  seemingly initiating the ritual which then proceeds to a rhythmic ritual dance music.  This ritual dance music has a slow interlude to be sung by the women of the chorus in which I imagined the wives of the Maguindanaon warriors pleading for their husbands.  

The work closes with the kulintang ensemble and the chorus coming together in a mélange  of rousing traditional melodies and rhythms with brief segments of kulintang improvisation — all underscoring an imagined ancient battle.

III. Sagayan (from Manga Pakalagian) PHILIPPINE MADRIGAL SINGERS

CROSSING THE BAR 
music: Nilo Alcala
poem: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
C4: The Choral Composer/Conductor Collective
“Water Music” concert
conducted by: Benjamin Arendsen
soloists: Soloists: Artemisz Polonyi and Maya Webne-Behrman
recording: Noriko Okabe
Recorded live June 9, 2018
Church of St. Luke in the Fields, Manhattan, NY
http://www.c4ensemble.org

Crossing The Bar (N. Alcala) C4: The Composer/Conductor Collective

Nilo Alcala’s compositions and arrangements have been performed in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. His choral suite Manga Pakalagian has been hailed as “extraordinary...” (Eric Whitacre), “very fine...” (Morten Lauridsen), “...powerful... spectacularly engaging” (Lauri’s List), “...exuberant and at times hypnotic...”(Cultural Cocktail Hour), and “...scaled peaks of genius” (Asian Journal).

Alcala made history for being the first composer from the Philippines to receive the prestigious Aaron Copland House Residency Award (2017), as well as the first Filipino to be commissioned by the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale and premiered at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

Alcala’s awards also include the POLYPHONOS Young Composer Award from The Esoterics (Seattle, WA), the 2nd Prize Asian Composers League Young Composer Award (Israel), and Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honor) from the Office of the President of the Philippines. His commissions include the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA); Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival; Korean Ministry of Culture; Asia-Europe Foundation; and premieres by the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra. 

Alcala was composer-in-residence of the Philippine Madrigal Singers (UNESCO Artist for Peace) which premiered his works in international competitions such as the Florilege Vocal de Tours (France); the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (Italy); and events including the American Choral Directors Association National Conference (Dallas, TX); the 9th World Symposium on Choral Music (Argentina); and America Cantat 7 (Colombia). 

An Asian Cultural Council grantee, Alcala is also a Billy Joel Fellow at Syracuse University where he earned an MMus in Composition and received the Irene L. Crocker Music Award. He holds a BM in Composition at the University of the Philippines, graduating Magna cum laude. 

A versatile composer, Alcala also scores for the screen. His music for the film Homecoming (Gil Portes, Director) earned nominations for Best Musical Score at the Metro Manila Film Festival and Star Awards for Movies. He is also part of the composers team for Train Station, a ground-breaking international film by CollabFeature with 40 directors from 25 of countries. Alcala also recently scored White Horse Pictures’ short documentary Candlestick Park Fans (The Last Ticketed Concert of The Beatles) to promote Ron Howard’s “The Beatles: Eighth Days A Week”. He is currently music director of Club Six Studios, a Silicon Valley-based mobile video game company.

Choral Music - Nilo Alcala

nilo alcala | composer |