LOS ANGELES ? To paraphrase the lyrics from one of the movie theme songs that the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra (Faso) played on July 10 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium: ?Where do we begin counting the ways that the concert made us proud to be Filipino??

Let us begin with the beautiful miracle story that is Faso. At a time when orchestras are sadly folding up in the United States and around the world due to the economic crunch, here is the first and only Filipino symphony orchestra outside the Philippines on its third concert, sounding so vibrant and fresh in the show titled ?Faso Goes to the Movies.?

Saturday night, the 65-member Faso, composed of volunteers (that in itself is another miracle story)?Fil-Am engineers, housewives, students, even a police officer?who somehow find time in their busy lives to rigorously practice, was rewarded with a much-deserved series of standing ovations, vigorous cheers and applause.

Transcendental power

An amalgam of various ages and musical experience?from cellist Matthew John Ignacio, who is a musical prodigy, to bassist Tagumpay ?Pi? de Leon, an exponent of rondalla music in the US (he is the son of the late National Artist Felipe de Leon, who wrote the lyrics of ?Lupang Hinirang?) ?Faso compellingly proved once more the transcendental power of music.

From its stirring rendition of George Canseco?s movie theme classics (arranged by Louie Ramos), Ennio Morricone?s ?Gabriel?s Oboe? (from ?The Mission?) to appropriately bold, brash interpretations of John Williams? ?Superman March? and Lalo Schifrin?s ?Mission Impossible? main theme, we were transported to scenes from the big screen and beyond.

The orchestra?s music lifted us from our everyday immigrant existence. With our heads bopping, fingers and feet spontaneously tapping in rhythm, our spirits were raised with pieces that ranged from Carlos Gardel?s ?Por Una Cabeza? (used in Al Pacino?s ?Scent of a Woman? tango scene) to a medley of memorable James Bond soundtracks.

Concert mistress Justina Nadal took us away from the elaborate confines of the Pasadena Civic and made our hearts and minds soar with her masterful violin playing in the tango number.

Incidentally, a video introduction featuring clips of Filipinos in Hollywood, including footage of Barbara Perez and Ramon Sison (the late doctor was truly the pioneering Pinoy actor in Tinseltown) in American films, followed by the orchestra?s rousing rendition of Alfred Newman?s now classic ?20th Century Fox Fanfare,? helped set the mood. Whenever available, clips of the memorable movies where a score or a theme song originated from (a highlight was from ?Maalaala Mo Kaya?? with Carmen Rosales and Rogelio de la Rosa) were shown on a screen as Faso played.

Conductor plays flute

A big ?Bravo!? shout-out to Faso?s musical director/conductor Robert ?Bob? Shroder, who is as Filipino as you and me, despite his foreign sounding name. The Kawit, Cavite native and UP alumnus has patiently coaxed this motley group of musicians of varying skills into shape, making the orchestra sound better with each concert.

As if his duties onstage weren?t strenuous enough, Bob gave us an extra treat: For the first time in a Faso concert, he played the flute solo on Louie Ocampo?s ?Kahit Isang Saglit.? Demonstrating fluidity and emotion, that performance from the 1982 National Music Competition for Young Artists grand prize winner, who went on to become the principal flutist of both the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Manila Chamber Orchestra, provided one of the evening?s many highlights.

Some of the other peaks from the show were courtesy of the guest performers. Faso has featured name talents, including Charice, Joey Albert and Stephanie Reese, in its previous concerts but it also commendably tapped singers who deserve the spotlight: Pete Avendaño, Maria Christina ?Kit? Navarro and Gelo Francisco, among others. In the recent show, Faso gave major exposure to lesser-known but hugely talented vocalists: Annie and Ed Nepomuceno, Joan Cano and Edsel Sotiangco.

Husband-and-wife team

We can?t begin to describe the joy that we experienced seeing Annie and Ed, who?ve been working as session vocalists, backup singers to visiting Manila performers or with groups (Annie currently with Three of a Kind and Ed with the acclaimed Los Angeles Master Chorale).

The husband and wife team sang Constancio de Guzman?s ?Maalaala Mo Kaya?? and Josefino Cenizal?s ?Hindi Kita Malimot.? The pair made it sound easy and flawless, but being topnotch voice and choir teachers and arrangers, they injected distinctive vocal blending to the two classic Filipino songs. Rapturous applause greeted their duets.

Interestingly, it was only the first time that Annie and Ed, who?ve been married for 20 years, were asked to sing duets onstage. A couple of days after the concert, Annie told us: ?Before we were married, we were both with the UP Madrigal Singers but for duets, National Artist and professor Andrea Veneracion felt that my voice went better with another male singer?s, so Ed would duet with another female singer.

?It was such a glorious feeling to share the stage with a great amount of talent bringing the music to life ... So when Ed and I looked at each other as the song (?Maalaala??) ended, we just had to kiss (no, it was not planned!). As we left the stage, we both whispered repeatedly, ?Thank you, Lord,? not only for the music and the experience, but for each other.?

We also thank Bob and Faso for introducing us to the supremely gifted Joan Cano. The former soloist of the University of Santo Tomas Singers (whose current batch just won the Choir of the World-Luciano Pavarotti Grand Prize in the UK) brought the house down with Severino Reyes and Jose Estrella?s ?Ang Maya,? a zarzuela aria which was used in a movie of the same title and also in ?Ang Ibong Adarna.?

When we asked Joan later how she felt amid the thunderous ovation after singing ?Ang Maya,? she answered: ?I was thinking, was that really for me? Did I really not mess up the lyrics? The thing is, I am always nervous minutes before going onstage. My hands are cold as ice and I can?t stop moving around. I am always anxious that I might forget the lyrics or the sequence of the songs. That?s why after singing and hearing the audience clap, I felt a big sigh of relief. I thanked God for guiding me throughout my performance. It felt really good that friends and people I haven?t met liked what they heard and saw onstage. It?s one of the best feelings an artist could get.?

Edsel Sotiangco, who is only 12, showed promise and confidence in Harold Arlen?s ?Over the Rainbow? and Alan Menken?s ?Go the Distance.? With continued training, this boy could go places.

In a fitting ending to a perfect evening, established LA-based talents, including Louie Reyes, Bernardo Bernardo and Mon David, and Pinoy arts and culture exponent Zen Lopez, gave bouquets to the guest artists whose careers will hopefully rise.

?Breaking down walls?

As a postscript, we asked Matthew John Ignacio, who hopes to enroll at Juilliard next year, what being with Faso as a Fil-Am youth means to him. ?To me, the success of Faso will inspire Fil-Am kids to play in orchestras,? answered Matthew, who also plays the piano. ?And most important of all, classical music is about building a community and breaking down the invisible walls that divide us. It unites rich and poor kids, kids born in the Philippines and those born here in America. We don?t live an equal life, but in a community orchestra, all members are equal. I may be idealistic, but I really believe that classical music can unite the Filipino community. Music transcends political ideologies and religious differences.?

In its three concerts, Faso has inspired a spirit of harmony and cooperation in the community, not to mention pride and awe in Filipino musical artistry. Bravo to the founders of Faso who dare to sustain this bold venture of a Fil-Am orchestra amid the financial crisis?Roger and Cora Oriel, Lito Ocampo Cruz, Bob, and Andy Tecson, who plays the violin in the orchestra.

?Faso Goes to the Movies? moves to San Diego this Saturday, July 17, 6:30 p.m. at The Rock Church.

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com.