November 15, 2024 – The New Frontier Theater was abuzz with a diverse set of crowd as people of all ages – from teenagers to seniors – flocked the venue, many dressed in their preppiest attire. They were to see the main stars of the evening, the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), under the baton of Maestro Marlon Chen, and everyone gathered to bask in the glory of their symphony for A Night at the Pops. 

Presented by ElectricSheep Entertainment, the concert featured a refreshing orchestral take on many beloved pop songs – swaying from the classics to the modern – with a little bit of help from some of the finest local talents – veteran singers Barbie Almalbis and Acel Bisa-van Ommen, rising stars Lola Amour, Arthur Miguel and Jason Dhakal, and newcomer Dylan Burton.

The setlist was divided into two, each one seemingly following a pattern. It started off with joyful classics – Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” and Vivaldi’s “Spring” – which are pieces that are recognizable to many. It was followed by an array of pop songs that are easy favorites for most of the crowd, and this is where MSO thrives: in taking something traditional and giving it a quirky, modern twist.

For instance, QUEEN’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, a complex rock piece by itself, was made even more explosive with the mix of the booming brass and strings, the underlining electric guitar and the pulsing percussion. Their arrangement of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” and Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” sounded triumphant. A stand-out moment was MSO’s rendition of BTS’ funk-disco song “Dynamite” which induced a feel-good, sing-along vibe to the crowd, almost to the point of dancing. 

The special guests of the evening also gave more color to the stage as MSO played. Acel Bisa-van Ommen and Barbie Almalbis played guitar and sang together during Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”. Arthur Miguel sang Rey Valera’s “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko” while Jason Dhakal did Tony Bennet’s “The Way You Look Tonight” and Sitti’s “Para sa Akin”. 

The concert also highlighted a fluid collaboration between our local talents and MSO, with both sides breathing a new life into each other. With the moving string arrangement, Arthur Miguel’s soulful vocals shone even more when he performed his original song “Lihim”. Lola Amour, a band that includes brass instruments in their sets, jived with the orchestra as they played their hits “Fallen” and “Raining in Manila”. Acel Bisa-van Ommen gave a striking farewell performance with “Torete”, a song that became an inescapable household favorite in the year 2000. She is set to migrate to the Netherlands next year. Barbie Almalbis’ “Tabing Ilog” became even more iconic with MSO’s backing. To cap the evening off, MSO performed an encore performance of Eraserheads’ “Ang Huling El Bimbo” as the crowd sang along. 

A Night at the Pops captivated the audience with its modern mix of orchestral and pop music, giving both genres more layers: Orchestral music doesn’t always need to be so intimidatingly rigid and pop music doesn’t always have to be encased in a bubble.  MSO, as well as the special guests, performed impressively well for the whole evening. It was also commendable how Maestro Marlon Chen encouraged the crowd to clap their hands to the beat, to cheer and even to sing along loudly, things that seemed to be taboo during orchestra concerts. The concert proved that orchestral music could be enjoyable for everyone, especially when played live. Hopefully, there will be more events like this one in the near future! 

Special thanks to ElectricSheep Entertainment

Words by Sandra Mae Laureano

Photos by Vince Bernardo