There are two great loves that many Filipinos have: singing and the holiday season. Chances are, you’ve heard stories of how early Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines. As early as September, houses, malls and other places have already started putting up their holiday decorations. Once November arrives, it becomes common to see people attending or participating in caroling sessions. Caroling is not something unique to the Philippines, but the way Filipinos do it is much more special. Particularly, some carolers travel from house to house where they hold small, intimate concerts full of Christmas songs.
This was the central theme around HGS’s huddle last November 17th in BGC. Set against the backdrop of a Winter Wonderland, the afternoon was full of favorite Christmas songs many of the staff sang along to. With a large audience in attendance, you can almost bet that all the participants gave it their all, and then some.
Remembering your Favorites this Holiday Season
As expected, HGS’s resident singers took their caroling to a whole new level. Not satisfied with traditional caroling norms, the groups added a little flair to their songs that got the crowd going. From “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night”, many favorite Christmas songs were sung that afternoon. Some groups even mixed in a little local flair by performing Filipino Christmas songs during their time on stage.
It may sound weird for people to get excited over Christmas songs, but that’s what HGS’s performers were able to do. What resulted were performances that the crowd loved and clapped along to, even if there was no signal for them to. Judging these competitions at HGS is often quite challenging, and this was no exception. Overall, the group that sang a medley of “All I Want For Christmas” and “Kumukutikutikap” was the afternoon’s big winner. However, everyone would agree that no that no group put out a performance that could be considered subpar. As an added bonus, one of our clients in attendance all sang a rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”
Singing For A Cause
One element that makes caroling in the Philippines unique is what (or who) carolers sing for. Often times, carolers not only perform because they love it, but also do it for the less fortunate. In time with the holiday season, caroling groups encourage audience members to donate what they can to the cause or charity they represent. In line with this, the organizers of this month’s BGC huddle announced that the afternoon’s program would be benefiting Heart Warriors Philippines. A donation box was setup in the office lobby for the next few weeks for any donations after the huddle.
December Excitement for HGS
It’s been a full year of great huddles at HGS. Each month, organizers have done their best to top the previous month’s presentation, often surpassing it. With the big year HGS has had, its year end party promises to be something special. If the reaction to preview video shown last November 17 was any indication, it will be a great way to cap off the year.
