DEIFY: A Concert for Marawi Siege Victims

148 days of deafening gunfires. Peace followed. Help were coming from different parts of the country. This was the effect of the Marawi siege that ran for five months. Thus, “Duyog Marawi” a program supported by Archdiocese of Davao, dioceses of Digos, Tagum, and Mati (DADITAMA) subregion was born. In support of this, the Redemptorist Parish of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help (OMPH) held a benefit concert at the CAP Auditorium, last December 9, 2017.

For years now, the different choir groups of OMPH do their rounds of caroling every December to help raise funds for the maintenance of the church sound system. However, they realized that it takes a toll on their voices doing their daily caroling while also singing during the Simbang Gabi masses. The idea of a concert then came about as an option to their yearly caroling activities. It was really the initiative of the parish church choirs to hold the concert. This time, the proceeds of the concert will not solely be allotted for the sound system of the church. They also want to extend their help to those who were recently affected by the war in Marawi. So part of the funds raised from the concert will be given to the “Duyog Marawi” mission program of the Archdiocese and the Redemptorist community.

The concert was called ‘Deify: God born in our songs’. The concept of the concert is a combination of the very theology behind incarnation and the popular online music application called “Spotify”. “Dei” is the Latin word for “God”. So to “Dei-fy” is to make something “like God” or to make something divine. The concert was packed with a variety of well selected playlists. It did not only present Christmas songs, but also of some popular songs about hope and love.

Ms. Vicky Tagle, the musical director of the concert, made sure that the performances of the various choir groups were pitch perfect. Thus, the concert indeed showcased the angelic and beautiful vocals from the different choirs: the 6 AM Band, 7:30 AM Choir, Niners, St. Joseph Chorale Ensemble, St. Blaise Chorale, other faith groups Choir and Redemptorist Rondalla Group. The devotees and youth participated too in the concert through their dances. The Redemptorist student seminarians also performed. But when the Redemptorist priests performed a medley of the popular OPM Hugot songs, the concert venue was filled with applause and the cheers of the audience.

The concert was written and directed by Bro. Eric Sevencruz along with his creative team Paul Mark Divino, Rhen Eguia and Neil Capidos. It was indeed a memorable night of beautiful music, inspiration and love. To everyone who, in one way or another, helped in making the concert a success, “Thank you very much! May we continue to be Deified!”

The Redemptorist community had been doing a lot of theatrical plays before depending upon the causes they had. They had performed the famous theatrical play “Cats,” their original “Finding Heaven,” and the life also of their founder “St. Alphonsus de Ligouri.” (Eric Sevencruz CSsR | OMPH Seminarian)