Siblings Raymond Lauchengco and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo

They were virtually singing partners growing up as brother and sister. Then Raymond and Menchu Lauchengco went kind of separate ways once into professional singing. One became a balladeer and a member of the now-legendary Bagets, the other the acknowledged First Lady of Philippine musical theater.

This Valentine’s Day, whatever wall that artistically puts them on different places goes down as they both share the stage in an intimate dinner-concert wittily dubbed as “Sibling Revelry.” The show will be held at the Rockwell Tent Makati, 8 p.m., with a sumptuous four-course, sit-down dinner awaiting ticket holders.

“I think the last time we shared a stage before a concert audience was in the 80s. So here we are and it will be 50% duets,” expressed Menchu who is proudly carrying the surname Lauchengco along with her spouse’s last name, Yulo.

The high-end evening affair is expected to deliver some romantic pop ballads, as well as those from Broadway and West End. A swinging big band sound stands in the background under the musical direction of Jun Austria.

With the ticket priced at P3,300 inclusive of dinner, every attendee is sure to get pampered with classy live music and delicious fine dining food to be prepared by noted Chef Him Uy de Baron. Selected press people enjoyed the privilege of eating the menu that would be prepared for that upcoming show presented by Chevrolet, Imarflex, Cuisinart, Chef Cuisine, among others.

The voice behind the classic graduation song “Farewell,” Raymond is thrilled that he is to do a back-to-back concert for the first time with his sister. In the spirit of brotherly love, he recalled, “I was just 15 feet away when her boyfriend proposed!”

With eight albums to boot in a career that allowed him to perform concerts around the world, Raymond is said to have ensured those coming to see them that the concert would be free of obscure songs. The threat definitely got into the mix with Menchu known for being so much into “beautiful songs which are alien to mainstream listeners.”

As expected, there has been no friction between the two as they prepare for the occasion, having long ago spent a lot of time singing together in front of family and friends. This time around, extended families should include non-relatives who love soulful ballads and big band standards.

“We’ve been preparing for this all our lives,” Raymond stated, obviously proud to have a first-rate theater artist for a sister. “There’s surely a built-in chemistry and we want the audience to see that.”