REVEREND Father Ernesto Javier, SJ, had the herculean task of moving out Sacred Heart School for Boys from crowded Mango Avenue in Cebu City and completing its new location in a 15-hectare property in Mandaue City.

It has a new name, Sacred Heart School-Jesuit, and is co-educational.

State-of-the-art facilities have been installed in classrooms, laboratories, and sports services. Fr. Javier also made sure there was an auditorium for cultural activities. It has been dedicated to the memory of Virginia Sy Chiongbian.

The inaugural was marked by a concert series done in cooperation with the Peace Philharmonic Philippines (PPP) and the Salvador & Pilar Sala Foundation. First event was a brilliant performance by internationally acclaimed pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria.

I regret not having gone but it was the 97th birthday of my father, Santiago Picornell. He is blind, says he?s deaf, but he is as sharp as ever. Of course, he said he was not celebrating but 20 from his immediate family joined him at his favorite haunt ? the international weekend buffet at Casino Español.

All those who went to Ingrid?s concert raved about it. She played ?Concerto No. 2 in G Minor? by Saint-Saens and ?Concerto No. 2 in G minor? by Rachmaninoff. The excellent accompaniment on a second piano was by Harold Galang.

Ingrid also played Mozart?s ?Sonata No. 19? and ?Fantasie Brillante? arranged by F. Borne from Bizet?s opera ?Carmen? with flutist Raymundo Sison.

Rudolf Golez concert

Two days later I was able to make it to the second event which featured internationally-awarded pianist Rudolf Golez. Fr. Javier addressed the audience and gave three reasons why he wanted Rudolf to be in this concert series.

First was that Rudolf had helped choose the Yamaha C5 baby grand piano; and second, that he had spent precious time breaking it in. Third, ?Rudolf?s talent and virtuosity. He?s world-class. He has done us proud, will do us prouder.?

All eyes focused on Rudolf?s mother Rafaelita ?Oche? Pelaez. Everyone knows how she and her late parents, Rodolfo and Elsa Pelaez, nurtured Rudolf?s love for the piano since he was small.

The audience next gazed at the stage where Rudolf had appeared, wearing an impeccably tailored suit. He said, ?I?m honored and delighted to be here, and I have something to say about what I will play. First piece is Beethoven?s ?Moonlight Sonata,? which he dedicated to a 16-year-old countess he was in love with. Her parents did not approve, and so we have this musical masterpiece.?

To honor Mendelssohn on his 200th anniversary, Rudolf played his ?Rondo Capriccioso.? Strauss had inspired Rudolf as a child, and so he played the ?Gypsy Baron Waltz? along with all the floritures put in by its arranger, Dohnanyi.

?Etudes? by Chopin closed the first part. The ?Black Key? is so called because, as he said, ?The right hand only touches the black keys.? Everyone craned to see how Rudolf did it. When ?No Other Love? was played, Mila Longakit Cañete right behind me gave a sigh.

There was more Chopin ? ?Le Grand Polonaise? ? after the intermission. Then came ?Stairway of the Devil,? composed by by Ligetti in 1995. The finale was ?Mefisto Waltz? by Liszt.

As the crowd enthusiastically applauded and Rudolf took a bow, Leanne Sala went up the stage to give him a lei. Rudolf obliged with an encore ? a Chopin Nocturne. Fr. Javier went up, too, to say, ?Even magical programs like this come to an end. But there?ll be more.?

Cebuano artists

And indeed there was more ? the third of the concert series held four days later. It was like a ?velada? of yore and featured various Cebuano artists. The PPP Ensemble, with Leanne Sala in it, played the national anthem, the 1st movement from Beethoven?s ?Brandenburg Concerto,? and Pachelbel?s ?Canon in D.?

Dennis Sugarol played with the ensemble. He is the conductor of the multi-awarded (here and abroad) Mandaue Children?s Choir, which sang Ryan Cayabyab?s ?Prayer of St. Francis?; Alejandro Concepcion?s ?Peter Noster?; and the folk song ?Bongbongkit? arranged by Joy Nilo.

More music followed. Pianist Christine Uy rendered Beethoven?s ?Allegretto Opus 31,? while Dennis did a flute solo of ?Your Heart Today? by Manoling Francisco, SJ.

Mila Cañete?s two little grandsons, Luis Antonius and Karlo Cañete, had also been with the PPP Ensemble earlier. Now, they came on stage as a violin duo to play ?The King?s March? by J. Clark and ?minuet? by GP Teleman.

Voice duets came next, sung by June Philippe Ong with Darryl Leong. They were compositions by Jude Gitamondoc who accompanied them on the piano.

The finale featured the guitar trio of Ernie Vasquez, Anton Chua and Alexis Tecson. They played ?Malagueña? by SegundoVasquez, ?Romance? and ?Can?t Help Falling in Love,? as arranged by Segundo Vasquez. It sent a thrill through all Elvis Presley fans.