The weapons cache that AFP recovered from Ampatuans possibly included CAFGU arsenal. After Bernardo Carpio saved the maiden by slaying the ogre who guarded the Montalban mountain range, our hero would be doomed to the perpetual task of keeping two mountains from crushing the village.

Christmas season switched on last Thursday, 3 December, with the lighting of the giant tree fronting España to usher in the 7th Christmas Concert Gala at the University of Santo Tomas Chapel.

The event was co-chaired by Rev Fr. Isidro C. Abano, OP, and Cristina Ma. Cristina C. Zobel. Ms. Zobel as Medici provided the bubbly and caviar for apres concert reception at the UST Museum, while Fr. Albano, OP, was ready to multiply the bread and fish if these ran out with the overflow crowd.

University Rector Rev. Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, OP welcomed guests, including the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, the Papal Nuncio Msgr. Eduard Joseph Adams, the Ambassadors and their spouses, UST alumni, and the literati et glitterati in bling.

Fr. De la Rosa enjoined Filipinos who excel in many things, especially in music, to celebrate, and not recriminate.

He confessed that the evening performance was a warm-up exercise to the celebration of the 400th year of UST in 2011.

The pealing of bells of Lucio San Pedro’s Simbang Gabi opened the concert. (I knew the lyrics by heart as one of three stage-propped to complete Rolando Tiño’s choreography for the Ateneo Glee Club – even though we were admonished not to let a note slip out of our lip-sync).

The concert continued on a world tour of Christmas carols and liturgical music – by Coro Tomasino, UST Singers, Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble, Tiples de Santo Domingo, USTeMundo Ethnic Ensemble, sopranos (Rachelle Gerodias, Ferleoni Medina, Marie-Anne Dominese), tenors (Lemuel dela Cruz, Christian Paul Anthony Nagaño, Ronan Ferrer, Abdul Canadao), baritone Andrew Fernando, and the UST Symphony Orchestra under the flawless baton of Herminigildo G. Ranera.

The piece de resistance was “Agnus Dei” by Islamic tenor Abul Candao, who flew in from Vienna.

Knowing how his father, the late governor of Cotabato, was gunned down in warlord politics and with fresh backdrop of the Maguindanao carnage, Abul’s aria was an interfaith prayer for national healing.

UST Regent Fr. José Tiongco said that the university’s alumni fly home from opera houses abroad on invitation of their alma mater. The UST Philharmonic Orchestra is also beneficiary of first category musical instruments (including 67 violins) from the San Miguel Philharmonic.

Crossing to another muse, Juvenal Sano celebrated his octogenarian year with two week-long exhibits. The first was at Gateway on 23 November under the patronage of the Chargé d’Affaires of Colombia Minister Stella Suarez Araneta and Consul General George Araneta.

Jack Teotico of Galerie Joaquin impresarioed the second exhibit, Sansó, Pioneer of Expressionism, at the Art Center of SM Megamall. At the Friday Dec. 4 opening, art critic Dr. Reuben Cañete delivered an erudite dissertation on Sanso’s oeuvre, – revealing penumbra not known to the cognoscenti …and possibly even to the artist himself.

Invited to speak, the artist measured few words and let his canvas do the talking. This recalls the adage of “Mang Enteng” Manansala… that if he could speak, he need not paint.

The exhibit includes never before seen works of Sanso spanning six decades, some of which are loaned by private collectors. A few pieces are available with price tag of six figures. Ever generous to guests at his 80th birthday exhibit, Sanso raffled off three works for lucky winners. The exhibit runs until 16 December, the start of “Simbang Gabi.”

To celebrate her 83rd birthday Marina Salandanan, Filipina grandmother blessed with 18 grandchildren and expectant of her first great-grandchild in 2010, went parasailing in Mexico last November 7. Asked about the fear factor in the sport, this widow of a pilot who crashed in 1963 at Mt. Apo answered, “I was used to flying with [my husband] José…. and up there, I feel much closer to him.”

Pampanga voters elected Fr. Ed Panlilio governor for a clean government and an assurance that he could not start a political dynasty. But now that he decided to leave the priesthood to run for re-election, they can’t be too sure of “no dynasty” or celibacy. Feedback: jaz@mb.com.ph