Joy to the World: A singalong for giving

by Jon G. Malek

The Joy to the World: A Christmas Sing-Along was held at St. Ignatius Parish Church, 255 Stafford St., Winnipeg, on the afternoon of December 15, 2024. The concert brought together a number of performers from the community to raise funds for the renovation of St. Ignatius church and for an upcoming dental, vision, and medical mission to the Philippines. The afternoon of classical and recent Christmas songs was a rousing collection of talent, from youth singers to adult carollers, and even audience participation.

The performance was conceived and put together by Dr. Tricia Magsino Barnabé and Denny Nangan. As Denny told the audience, he came to Dr. Tricia with the idea in November, suggesting they host a Christmas themed concert to raise money for a future mission to the Philippines. Thinking he meant for 2025, Tricia was surprised when he said no, this year! They found a ready host in Father Daryl Miranda of St. Ignatius Parish, and the two were able to gather a talented group of singers to put on an excellent show. As Dr. Tricia told me, “If endeavours are created for all the right reasons, everything falls into place very quickly!” Denny found a ready and exceptionally capable partner in Dr. Tricia who recently put together This Is Me, an interactive musical experience at the Prairie Theatre Exchange in August 2024 along with Joanne Roberts.

Dr. Tricia had always dreamed of sharing beautiful music through concerts, but it wasn’t until October 2018 that her vision found its purpose. Inspired by an ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) charity event where she witnessed the impact of alleviating poverty in the Philippines, she was moved to take action. Encouraged by philanthropist Larry Vickar, she launched A Million Dreams, her first concert. Since then, Dr. Tricia has expanded her efforts, producing four more shows and organizing a two-week mission called Smiles and Sight 2024, which provided free dental and vision care to impoverished families in the Philippines. Her A Million Dreams initiative, now a musical production label, raises funds to support food, housing, education, disaster relief, and healthcare for the underprivileged. Through her work, countless artists and volunteers have come together, with 100 per cent of proceeds benefiting local and international charities.

In addition to songs performed by Dr. Tricia and Denny, solo performances were given by Jerlene Maranan, Elisha Abella, Ronnie Francisco, Rodel Olesco, and Diosa Panaligan and Zaldy Gonzaga (DAZE). A youth ensemble composed of Jade Caparino, Eliana Piansay, Nina Barnabé, Alexander Magsino-Briol, Maileia Magsino-Briol, Ayran Gavin Marasigan, and Rainiel Soriano provided accompaniment to several of the songs. There was a rich range of Christmas classics like Silver Bells and White Christmas to the modern favourite All I Want for Christmas is You. The Filipino classic Sana Ngayong Pasko brought many in the audience back to memories of past Christmas celebrations in the Philippines.

Despite the short time span from conception to execution, the production of the concert was a solid success. The concert’s creative team and production crew were Dale Rogalsky (live piano), David Androvich (sound), ECBG Design (poster design), Maya Sound and Lights, Milmar Abella Photography, Peal Music (concept design), and Red Arrow Events (video). The sound and lights were perfectly matched to the grandiose interior of St. Ignatius Church.

The stage, set at the foot of the church’s altar, was modestly decorated while offering plenty of space for the performers. The sense of openness on the stage helped make the entire production feel lively. If there were any anxious nerves in the performers, they did not show; indeed, every singer had a joyful stage presence with high energy throughout the afternoon. The unique feature of this concert, though, was the audience engagement as members were encouraged to sing along to each song. Memorable moments included the audience getting up from their seats to sing and dance to All I Want for Christmas is You and the finale song Feliz Navidad, or when members of the audience sang spontaneously into the microphone for a gift.

A special note of acknowledgment should also be made to the smooth, seamless transitions between performances. Once the show began, there was no interruption to the flow of the concert, a testament not just to the production team but also the performers.

This concert was much more than a feel-good sing along concert. Funds raised from the event are in support of renovations to St. Ignatius Church and for an upcoming dental and medical mission to the Philippines. A lot of this impetus is from a group called A Million Dreams, a fluid set of performers and supporters who have given their time, talents, and skills for a variety of projects since 2018. When asked about the group, Dr. Tricia told me, “I believe that when God calls us for the right reasons, it is when our hearts and minds are ready that we will be guided and assisted along the way, with all the right people and resources that we need, to do good for others.”

When it comes to these events where community members volunteer their time and talents with devotion, I’m inspired to ask why they do it because I believe the output is given added value. I end this column’s last piece of 2024 with Dr. Tricia’s answer, one which we can all reflect on this holiday season:

“In the realm of creative production and performance, it has always been my wish to give opportunities to performers and skilled volunteers to share their gifts for worthy causes. For many of us, we don’t have thousands of dollars to give away, but we all possess time, unique gifts and enthusiasm to generate awareness and funds to help charities and organizations who are in need. With our talents and skills, we can motivate generous audiences, sponsors and donors to contribute in their own special ways. Likewise, those who have special skills or interests in the field of dentistry, medicine and vision care can help families in impoverished situations who cannot afford essential health care. When the time and place is right for us, we can all ‘give what we can, when we can’ in order to make someone’s world a better place. And in doing so, our hearts and minds will be filled with warmth and joy, which in turn, leads by example to motivate others to similarly give of themselves too.”