13/05/2026
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ง โ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฌโ
Science knows that light travels faster than the speed of sound. Poetry understands that sound is none else but the echo of light itself.
Such was the principle at the very heart of Dies Novus, the capstone performance of Saint Louis Universityโs Glee Club, held at the Fr. Joseph Van den Daelen, CICM-CCA Theater the night of May 12th, 2026. In what was set to be the culmination of the semester, the universityโs most brilliant voices held nothing back in drawing upon their broad repertoire, all for us to once again bear witness to a premier showcase of ceaseless talent echoed from a rather solemn theme of renewal: When Light Fades, Voices Remain.
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
At the turn of conductor Mrs. Normita โBingโ Rio-Pablicoโs hand, the ensemble opened with a homage to Cordilleran musical tradition in ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ด, whose dynamic syncopations and charged atmosphere in relating the regionโs rituals set the stage for what was to come. From there, the SLU Glee Club alternates pieces in what can only be described as an observance of dualities, from ascending to the heavens in ๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ดโ antiphonal reverence and Dantean awe in ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ด, to revisiting earthly affairs with Segalariakโs evoking work-song vitality under the sun and Hentakan Jiwaโs onomatopoeic exploration of the voice as instrument of the soul.
In ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ, adapted from the work of Josรฉ Corazรณn de Jesรบs, the SLU Glee Club moved as a well-oiled machine rendering poetry in motion with locomotive force. Closing with a return to the cathedralesque in ๐๐ข๐ถ๐ฅ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ, they shuttered the first array behind the curtains to resounding applause.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ
Dies Novus promised, in its name alone, the dawn of another day. It stands, then, for the performance to usher in a nascent generation of singers to the world. Two childrenโs chorale groups, the Northern Homeschool Harmony and the Echoing Pines Chorale, under Mrs. Rio-Pablicoโs own tutelage, had already won hearts before even uttering a single note.
Their uniformed yet compelling voices lent their arresting effect to ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐ต ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ, as one cannot conceive of the message of boundless optimism for our world having a more appropriate messenger than the very children bound to inherit it, flaws and all. Prodigious musical talent and a disarming wholehearted delivery of Coldplayโs ๐๐ช๐ท๐ข ๐๐ข ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ข, a rock ballad about revolutionary resolve in a world that rarely wavers in its rigidity, was bound to have the crowd swaying and singing along. It was that selfsame hope that stirred even the other children in the audience, who were one of first to rise in exclamations of joy.
๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ก๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐
After the childrenโs choralesโ intermission, the women of SLU Glee Club returned to perform a pastel-drenched medley of P-Pop sensation BINIโs hit songs. Dressed in a hyperfeminine wardrobe, their saccharine vocals merged wondrously with the bubblegum-pink appeal of ๐๐ข๐จ๐ช and ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ, ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ alongside the upbeat groove of ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข to create a refreshing interpretation of modern Filipino pop through the choral mode. After a rowdy and endearingly campy interaction between them and the newly-arrived Glee Club male members reminiscent of teenage telenovelas brought immediate levity in between sets, the latter titillated the audience by jumping straight into a comedic but sincere rendition of ๐๐ถ๐ฌ๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ, ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ถ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฌ๐ฐ. By then, the sound of good-natured laughter had already blended into their machismo-infused vocals typical of the smitten rascal-bachelor.
Both sides, fresh from the heyday of the 2000s, came together as one for a medley of SexBombโs greatest hits. It was as much an ensemble dance as it was a vocal performance; boys in basketball jerseys, flip-flops, and toweled heads mingled hand-in-hand with girls in blouses, bell-bottoms, and dresses both floral and flannel alike. The whole set embodied the quotidian Filipino love storyโgrandiose, hilarious, and overwhelmingly sincere to its very bones.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐๐ป๐
But where the light of music took shape in the mornings of the Cordilleras, the dawn of the childrenโs chorales, and the noonday heights of Philippine pop, so must it also manifest as the fanfare of a sunset. Five members of the SLU Glee Club are set to graduate; Dies Novus is to be their swansong performance in the CCA Theater. As the peerless seniors took their rightful places under the spotlights, Mrs. Rio-Pablicoโs voice gave them their flowers while the conductor herself exchanged words with each as she hung sashes upon their shoulders.
Joined by the rest of the club as their chorus, each graduate stepped forth for their solos, every song in its own way a content farewell. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ, a pensive invocation for gracious guidance, shared its spirituality with ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐บ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฏโ ๐๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ and its snappy, stage-strutting blues melody. The introspective motif continued with ๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, whose vulnerable titular question was answered by its final lyric: the music never ends. Liveliness was reintroduced once the opening lines of ๐๐ข ๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐ต were sung, which seems apropos to be conceived as a homage to childhood and its playfulness. In the end, the performance of ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ข, or โPerfectionโ in Malay, delivered the conclusion for the section with a soaring soprano solo that made the whole theater feel weightless with every tantalizing note.
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
With Mothersโ Day having been mere days ago, Dies Novus also saw fit to celebrate the occasion through song. The sentiment was beautifully portrayed in sight and sound as their musical dedications were accompanied by photographs of the Glee Clubโs most cherished moments of maternal love. ๐๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐บ, somber and soulful in equal measure, was sure to pluck at the audienceโs tender heartstrings, while ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฆ from Disney' s Coco evoked a sentiment as old as Shakespeare: parting is such sweet sorrow.
The final section consisted of a triad of songs encapsulating the totality of music-making peoples. From folk-song ๐๐ช๐ต๐ด๐ช๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ด๐ช๐ต capturing snapshots of the Filipino experience to ๐๐ช๐น๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด and its heave-ho rhythm sung by toiling workers, the closing act of Dies Novus sought to encompass the very roots of musicโs renewing properties before elevating it to its zenith as a font of inspiration with a dignified rendition of ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ฐโs utopian yearning that proved as an indispensable message in todayโs day and age, the crescendo superseded only by the ovation that followed.
Regarding the circumstances behind Dies Novusโ production, SLU Glee Club President Mitzi P. Piencenaves confided about their hardship, as their rehearsals coincided with those for their previous performance of The Hunchback of Notre Dame last March. โIt was a struggle between a lot of sections, and we really needed to agree with each other what kind of sound we have to give,โ she stated.
Though this was her final time performing, Ms. Pienacenaves remained gratefully content, saying, โIt is bittersweet, but it's amazing that I get to conclude my journey with the SLU Glee Club through this concert.โ
Conductor Mrs. Pablico conceded the challenges of the concert, as production began as early as August last year but failed to remain consistent. โItโs really amazing we were able to put this up.โ She emphasized the involvement of the members in the creative process behind Dies Novus, from its title to its repertoire, as well as their constant drive for excellence. โIโm happy to see the Glee Club perform difficult pieces,โ she stated. โItโs also important that I see that they like performing those songs . . . Actually, sila yung may gusto ng mahirap, so that says something about how they appreciate choral music and everything that goes with it.โ
Even as the day faded, one could still hear the cheers making rounds about the theater, for music perseveres, as they have said, even when the night is darkest. Dies Novus closed the semester for the SLU Glee Club, with the sound of their success echoing at the speed of light.
By Gabrielle Louis Paolo Santiago
Photos by Andrea Caigas
