Stichting Bayanihan

invites you to a

Benefit Concert

bd

A Night of

Asian Music

and Dances

bd

With the

AILM Chorale – Asian Ensemble

Date: 24 May Wednesday

Time: doors open at 19.45 hrs

Venue: Geertekerk Utrecht, Geertekerkhof 23, 3511 XC Utrecht

A Night of Asian music and dances: A benefit concert of Stichting Bayanihan

On the occasion of her 15^th year anniversary, Stichting Bayanihan: Philippine Women’s Centre in the Netherlands is launching a series of activities to mark this milestone. These activities range from cultural performances, public forum, to book launching.

The first of these activities is A night of Asian music and dances, a cultural performance and fundraising activity in one. The proceeds from this concert will go into funding Bayanihan’s core activities and programs.

This concert is the first in a series of activities celebrating Bayanihan’s 15^th year of working with and for migrant women in the Netherlands. What better way of celebrating its birthday than asking for the support of friends for its continued existence? Serendipitously, the performer of tonight’s fundraising concert – the AILM Chorale-Asian Ensemble – is being supported by KerkinAktie of the Protestant churches in the Netherlands, an important source of support during Bayanihan’s early years.

Bayanihan, a self-help women organization established in 1991 as a foundation, extends social service assistance to Filipinas living in the Netherlands.

To strengthen and complement our work of providing social service assistance and thus addressing the problems of the Filipinas, Bayanihan engages in empowerment activities (i.e. anti gender-based violence trainings), research and publications, and lobby and advocacy work. Bayanihan also works together with other women and migrant organizations in the Netherlands, in Europe and in the Philippines. Some of the mutual and shared issues are the rights and welfare of au pairs, migration issues and its gender dimensions, the improvement of national welfare services, independent residence permit for women, the political participation and integration of migrant women, and women’s and migrant’s rights.

The dedicated efforts of her volunteers make possible the implementation of Stichting Bayanihan’s programs. Meanwhile, Bayanihan receives financial support from small Dutch Catholic and Protestant congregations, generous individuals, and small donor foundations. Bayanihan does not receive any structural subsidy for its work either from the Dutch or Philippine government. Shrinking government subsidies for migrant’s and women’s work within the Netherlands have made it even more impossible for Bayanihan to access both governmental and non-governmental subsidies. In light of this situation, Bayanihan embarks on various activities to ensure its financial self-sufficiency and hence, the continuation of its work of helping the Filipinas become an active and productive member of Dutch society
 

We at Bayanihan hope that you will help sustain the continuity of our work through this special concert. Your support is vital not only for the individuals who directly receive Bayanihan’s help, but for the Dutch society as well which eventually lives through the results of our work.

We thank you in advance for making the continuation of our work in the Filipino and Dutch communities possible.
 

The Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music Chorale

The AILM Chorale – Asian Ensemble is the performing arm of the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, a leading center for training in church music in Asia. The ensemble has 40 members coming from the different countries in Asia, with a repertoire as varied as its membership. The Chorale sings a mix of Western and Asian repertoire, mainly sacred and has premiered choral works of Asian church music composers. The Chorale is also known for its outstanding performance of contemporary works of Asian composers and folk song arrangements. It has four recordings of Asian choral music including Francisco Feliciano’s "Missa Mysterium."

Known all over Asia as the foremost exponent of Asian church music, the AILM has been holding workshops and performing in more than a dozen Asian cities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, and Hongkong since 1994.

In May this year, the Chorale will come to the Netherlands upon the invitation of the KerkinAktie. It has 26 members coming from the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Taiwan and Indonesia. They will give concerts and workshops in schools and churches in IJmuiden, Zaandam, Utrecht and Ede. They will then proceed to Germany to continue with their European tour which also includes Sweden.

Its first European performance was in Sweden in 1989, performing in almost all the major cities of Sweden, including a private performance for King Olaf. This was followed by another invitation by the Church of Sweden in 1991.

In the 1993 Kirchentag in Munich, the AILM Chorale was the main choir, performing in major events and at the Closing Worship at the Olympic Stadium where an estimated 150,000 gathered. Performances in Switzerland preceded the Kirchentag while a tour of Bavaria followed. In Heilsbronn, Germany, the Chorale performed creditably in the same program with the famous Windsbach Knabenchor.

The Chorale was in Europe in 2000 for a tour in the Netherlands and Germany. Importantly, they were invited to perform at the Expo 2000 in Hannover.

The present conductor is Jonathan Velasco, one the country’s leading choral master who also conducts the World Youth Choir and is very active in the international choral world as juror and lecturer.

As students of the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, many members of the Chorale are also composers and arrangers. Individually, each is capable of leading a congregation in worship and conducting choirs.

Since its organization in 1986, the AILM Chorale has made it its mission to bring the music of Asian cultures to the rest of the world. This is a mission it has pursued passionately and dedicatedly through the years with its programs that reflect the soul of Asia.

MUSIC AND DANCES OF ASIA

This 1 ½/hour programme features dances from Indonesia - mostly Sumatra and Java area - and some Philippine indigenous dances with live music accompaniment by the chorale and instrumentalists. The music part includes choral arrangement of folk songs from Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand.