The "Ambassadors"

The Origin of the Name "Ambassadors"

by Ray Puen

So you thought you knew the origin of the name "Ambassadors" as in AUP’s official singing group? I thought I did, too.

But I recently learned that it antedates the missionary term of Elton Wallace when he formed the male chorus in 1957 that bore the name Ambassadors. Years later, after he furloughed, the choir was transformed into a full SATB (mixed) choir.

At certain points in their concertizing, they would occasionally acknowledge their beginnings as a male chorus. This was brought up at their 50^th anniversary concerts in AUP and abroad. It all seemed very credible. Former Ambassador Homer Mendoza cites this beginning at all Ambassador concerts here as he has the privilege of announcing part of their concert repertoire. We have become attuned to it. And there’s nothing wrong with believing this genesis of the choral group. To a certain extent, it will always be, since the name and organization did have continuity from 1957 to the present.

But I've discovered that an event that predates the 1957 formation of the male chorus identifies the true beginning at least of the name, if not the group. I owe this bit of exhumed information to Dr. Art Roda, the only living link with the events I’m about to share with you.

P.U.C. Male Chorus, 1935 with Professor O. A. Blake

Upper row, L-R:  Eduardo Roda, Romeo Brion, Vicente Villanueva, Jose Diaz, Professor O. A. Blake, Abner Jornada, Silvino Kabigting, Eugenio Capobres, Serafin Flores, Antonio Lazaro; Lower: Leopoldo Gaje, Jose Montalban, Basilio Bautista, Luceno Quirante, Honesto Pascual, Edward L. L. Pan, Rigoberto Antonio, Romulo Ferrer, Sofronio Pirote, Reuben Manalaysay. (ID courtesy of Dr Art Roda)

P.U.C. Male Chorus, 1935
Center, seated: Lydia Cruz, pianist

Before the Second World War, Honesto Pascual, Sr. organized a male quartet which was widely referred to as the Senior Quartet (this curious term will make sense when you learn that another quartet was named the Junior Quartet). Members of these quartets were upper division students, seniors and juniors at Philippine Union College. Included in the senior quartet were Honesto Pascual, Luceno Quirante, Pablo Poblete and Silvino Decena.

After the war, only the Junior Quartet survived, composed of Dionisio Bautista who sang 1^st tenor, Elias Umali and Napoleon Imperio taking turns at 2nd tenor, Alfonso P. Roda who sang baritone and Gershon Brion who sang bass. After all of the Junior Quartet had graduated, they stayed together as a singing unit and Alfonso suggested that the name be changed to Ambassadors.

Two substitutions were made in Flaviano Dalisay, Jr. who became their first true bass voice, moving Gershon Brion to baritone, and the second tenor position was vacated by the Umali/Imperio tandem to make room for Arturo Roda, who sang 1^st tenor, while his older brother Alfonso moved up to 2^nd tenor. This became the original “Ambassador Quartet.”

They sounded good enough in a music-bereft community to make them sparkle as the “star” group on campus. So good as a matter of fact that Pastor Romulo booked them for his evangelistic meetings. But after a season of performance exposure around in the surrounding churches, the group was about to be broken up. Arturo was getting ready to move on to medical school so Gershon Brion thought it would be a good idea to record this group before it broke up.

Gershon made arrangements with DZMB to record some of the Ambassador repertoire. Alex Lacson, the recording engineer liked their vocal quality and recommended them for a weekly half hour program which they named the Chapel Hour. This became the first religious radio broadcast in the Philippines. After the group broke up, the program was offered to PUC and it was expanded to an hour’s program. During that transition, the male quartet became a mixed quartet with Sally Magdamo singing soprano and Minerva Arit singing alto. Flaviano Dalisay, Jr. stayed on to sing bass and Dionisio Bautista sang tenor.

Men, L-R: Pablo Poblete, Enrique Tauro, Gershon Brion and Gideon Pilar
Women, L-R:: Betty Diaz, Norma Tauro, Minerva Arit

By this time they were known as the Chapel Hour Quartet. But the name Ambassadors, used however briefly, experienced a renaissance when Elton Wallace organized a male chorus his first year on campus as a missionary. One of his recruits was his buddy and fellow school faculty member Alfonso Roda.

Standing, L-R: Romeo D. Brion, Paz Milaor Poblete, Alfonso P. Roda, Luz Santos Arcilla
Seated: Emilia G. Manalaysay

When it came time to name the group, Alfonso very naturally suggested Ambassadors and Elton liked it. It stuck. But no one really knew its beginnings until Alfonso’s younger brother Arturo reminisced about this in a recent interview. He is the only living connection between the quartets on both sides of the world war and today’s edition of the Ambassadors.

Upper, L-R:  Ben Siagian, Marciano Santiago, Jr., Nehemias Barnedo, Bert Moreno, Pangarisan (Paul) Sitompul, Epifanio (Nonoy) Alano, Alfonso Roda, Ricardo Salamante, Saw Eng Chuan, Arthur Kong, Gershon Brion;

Lower, L-R: Artemio Elumir, Daniel Alfanoso, Gerundio Ellacer, Nestor Zamora, Elmore Jornada, Elton H. Wallace, Edward Pan, Raymond Puen, Armando Espiritu, Juanito Villagomez, Domingo Villagomez

1957 P.U.C. Ambassadors Men's Chorus with Elton H. Wallace

Photo courtesy of Eunice M. Jornada

Now you know where “Ambassadors” came from. And now you know the rest of the story.

http://filadnet.blogspot.com/2011/07/aup-ambassadors-choir-of-world.html