Misa Sto Niño de Malolos

Memories of my childhood apparently came back during the process of composing the "Misa Santo Niño de Malolos", a commissioned piece for the community of Sto. Niño de Malolos, Bulacan. In fact, I remembered my dad who is a music aficionado and loves the works of Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Antonio Molina and Lucio San Pedro, among others. Their composition were profoundly influenced by Hispanic culture of the 19th century. The flavors of Habanera, Polka, Pasa Doble and Danza were among the music styles that I have used on writing the mass. The evocative entrance of the "Panginoon, Kaawaan Mo Kami" projects this compassionate and melancholic melody, while the "Papuri Sa Diyos" in its festive mood - echoes the joy of the town as they celebrate the fiesta with the gusto music that is played by the town band. The middle portion that was sung by a solo soprano is a kind a kind of music that describes the mood of the text with immense drama, a kind of writing evident to early Zarzuelas during the 19th century. The "Santo" is a balitaw in which the instrumentation echoes the joy of music produced by the mariachi, which is popular in Spain and Mexico. The "Ama Namin" was written in a slow tango, while the "Kordero ng Diyos" is a recapitulation of the middle movement of the "Papuri Sa Diyos". - Alejandro D. Consolacion II