By Xander Cipriano
As the Christmas season settled in, a chorale group from Imus, Cavite shared how caroling became a manifestation of their strong faith amid the trying times due to COVID-19.
"For us, caroling is more than just singing or getting money. We are [doing] caroling because we will use the money to help other people."
Christmas is, undeniably, one of the most important events Filipinos look forward to every year. Usually in the Philippines, one can already hear Christmas songs being played on the radio and in malls as early as the first day of September.
As the season of gift-giving, Noche Buenas, and Simbang Gabi (Night Mass) were set in motion, so did the children knocking on everyone’s doors, screaming “Namamasko po!” (Merry Christmas to you!) singing to several Christmas tunes and music.
The only difference is that everyone’s wearing face masks.
With the latest announcement of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Dec. 6 instructing local government units (LGUs) to create guidelines on caroling activities for areas under Alert Level 2, it is undeniable that many are looking forward to it.
It is no surprise then that the Sacred Heart of Jesus Music Ministry (SHJMM), a choral group from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church in Imus, Cavite, was excited to get back to singing Christmas carols.
For 37 years, caroling has been their group’s “devotion,” a singing tradition they upheld dearly.
With the Christmas season kicking in, we took a closer look at how the choir group ‘sang’ on a melody of memories and ‘caroled’ through the rhythm of challenges they faced at this trying time.
Preparing the setlist
Kristonn Gonzales, a member of 6 years and sound editor of the choir group, shared that caroling became the source of strength of SHJMM since its establishment in 1984.
“Caroling has been a part of SHJMM because it is our main source of strength, and it is fun singing for other people,” he said.
Kristine Gonzales, former president of SHJMM and a member for 5 years, looked back at how excited they were for their caroling before the pandemic.
“Normally, what we do is we practice after Simbang Gabi. Our call time is every 5:00 pm. And for 30 minutes, we will have a quick rundown of the songs. By 5:30 pm, we will go to our designated subdivision for the day,” she shared.
Maria Dorothy Boholst, the current president of the chorale group and a member for 5 years, agreed to Kristine’s sentiment, sharing that caroling is also a form of bonding between the members.
“Caroling is also a part of our bonding. It’s different when the entire group goes to every house together,” she said.
According to Fr. Virgilio Ojoy, O.P., director of the Letran Center for Intramuros Studies, the culture of door-to-door caroling is what sets us apart from other countries’ caroling.
“Caroling in other countries (is) often held in formal settings like churches, or halls - something like a concert. Here in the Philippines, it is more of a house-to-house visit where groups may send letters to possible patrons who may agree on their coming for caroling,” Ojoy explained.
"Here in the Philippines, it is more of a house-to-house visit where groups may send letters to possible patrons who may agree on their coming for caroling"
Voice cracks and hoarseness
Just as the choir group looked forward to continuing their caroling tradition back in 2020, everything came to a halt when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck the country.
On Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered local government units (LGUs) to pass ordinances barring activities such as karaoke and caroling during the holiday season due to COVID-19.
A few days before DILG’s announcement, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla already announced in a Facebook post on Dec. 2, 2020, that mass gatherings are prohibited in the province.
Admittedly, Kristine said their entire group was saddened when they heard the news.
“We were truly saddened [by the announcement] because it is only every December that we get to experience caroling together and face-to-face,” she expressed.
Kristine said that the suspension of their caroling led to the inactivity of the group, as manifested during their incomplete attendance during online meetings and gatherings.
“It became a big challenge on my part as the president of the chorale back then because the attendance was not stable at first. There were also times when only a few of us attended our online meetings,” she added.
Moreover, this pandemic also affected the chorale’s number of members.
According to the shared observations of Kristonn, Kristine, and Dorothy, the group members, which was at least 40, were reduced to more than half by the time the pandemic happened.
Kristonn also said that the chorale had to cancel all their plans, including their caroling last year, because of the pandemic.
Road to recovery
Instead of wallowing in sadness and frustration, Kristonn said that the chorale thought something good will come out from this adversity.
And to their surprise, it did.
On November 2020, Kristine received a message from one of the organizers, inviting them to be featured as one of the performers for a virtual Simbang Gabi titled “Lakbay-Nilay sa Simbang Gabi,” a nine-day online ‘Simbang Gabi’ spearheaded by the Sisters of Charity of St. Charles Borromeo - Philippines Region.
The said sector is part of an international religious congregation founded in the Netherlands.
Kristonn said that the online event became a motivation for the group to continue despite the cancellation of their plans during that year.
“It became a good experience and gave us hope to serve for others as well," he said.
Moreover, Dorothy explained that this was a “once in a lifetime” experience for the group since they are not used to being featured for an event.
“[The online event] became an additional motivation for us to start singing again. Our purpose was revived,” she added.
Since then, SHJMM has been producing virtual choir performances through its official Facebook page.
Singing with a purpose
According to Fr. Ojoy, church choirs engage in caroling activities because they wanted to share their talents and spread good tidings.
“The gifts they receive from generous patrons are a welcome bonus for them which they often use for some charitable projects,” Ojoy added.
Charity has been SHJMM’s main reason for doing caroling since the chorale started.
“For us, caroling is more than just singing or getting money. We are doing caroling because we will use the money to help other people,” Kristonn explained.
On the other hand, Kristine hoped to inspire and let others feel the true spirit of Christmas through their caroling.
“During the pandemic, people often say that Christmas will just be a fad and the next thing we know, it’s already New Year. But for us, [SHJMM], we want to bring back the happiness we felt as to how we [celebrate Christmas in a face-to-face setup], especially for the youth,” she explained.
Aside from inspiring others, Dorothy wishes that the caroling this year will motivate the entire group to continue despite the personal challenges they face.
SHJMM published their very first online caroling on Christmas Eve, December 24, via Facebook Live on their official page.
To watch the full replay, click the link here: https://www.facebook.com/shjmmchannel/videos/216666230632243
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