The Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra (LACO) raised over $1000 for survivors of the devastating Philippine typhoon, in a concert on December 13 at the Mission Community United Methodist Church in Rosemead.
LACO is based in South Pasadena, and draws children of many heritages from throughout greater Los Angeles, including several with a Filipino background. The award-winning orchestra, directed by Susan Pascale, is made up of some 50 youngsters who play violin, viola, cello and bass. At the benefit concert, the children played pieces ranging from Beethoven to African folk music.
Also appearing at the benefit – in their debut performance – was “The Jazz Police”, a quintet of Mt. San Antonio college students, including Felipe Quijano on bass, David Munez on drums, Miguel Partillo on guitar, Christian Meraz on keyboard, and Zakaria Solotoff on tenor/soprano saxophones.
The November 8 storm in the Philippines claimed thousands of lives and caused massive destruction, notes Reynaldo Eusebio, associate pastor of the United Methodist church. “I am grateful to LACO for a sterling performance ,” he said. “They superbly displayed their talents and made a big difference in the lives of people in central Philippines. We gathered $1077 at the door, and more checks are coming in by mail, all of which will be sent to the Philippines through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). I also thank the group Jazz Police. I am impressed by their willingness to help by having their debut performance in a concert for a cause like this.” Pastor Eusebio added, “The Filipino people are known for their resilience. They are also known for their spirit of gratitude. On their behalf and as a Filipino, I appreciate those who collaborated to make this project happen and those who supported this causethrough their generous donations. Maraming salamat po! (Thank you very much)."
To learn more about UMCOR’s relief efforts, go to http://tinyurl.com/kmmcvl4. Find information about the Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra at http://www.stringsprogram.com.
