Whether it''s your spouse, a date, your friends, or your family, just be sure to bring along someone to "iLove: A Hangad Valentine''s Concert" at the Eastwood City Central Plaza at 8 PM on Saturday, February 16. The show is the first of its kind from Hangad, with a 100% love song lineup designed to tickle, thrill, and touch. Admission is FREE.

Hangad’s “Raymond's Lullaby” was recently named a finalist in the Best Christmas category of the 20th Awit Awards.

Visit http://www.awitawards.com.ph/finalists2007.htm to see the other finalists.

We’ve all had moments when we just couldn’t help but sing. The trigger may be a breathtaking view, a long-awaited victory, a love letter from a sweetheart, an uncontainable loneliness. Whatever it is, the experience is just too emotional for mere words, that words must take on a melody. Whether the song that comes out is one that already exists, or a totally new creation, never mind if there’s no accompaniment. We just have to sing.


It is these very moments when that Ateneo-based vocal group Hangad will celebrate this July, in Walang Ibang Hangad: An All A Cappella Concert.


Walang Ibang Hangad will feature songs from three of Hangad’s five albums, such as “Magnificat” and “Paghahandog”; existing arrangements including “Man in the Mirror” and “People Get Ready”; and new and original arrangements of “Hawak-Kamay”, “Power of Your Love”, “You Raise Me Up”, and “I Will Sing Forever.”


“Some people say a cappella choral music is better than accompanied choral music,” says Paulo Tirol, the group’s musical director. “I wouldn’t say one is better than the other… but definitely, a cappella music has a distinct challenge and excitement, being 100% vocal.


“It’s been a while since we did an a cappella show, and we miss the challenge and thrill of being to pull something off without any instruments.”


Hangad began singing a cappella music in 1996, having acquired scores of inspirational and Christmas music by US groups First Call and A Cappella Praise. When the group recorded Hangad, its first album, in 1996, the album’s lineup included a number of a cappella tracks such as “One Thing I Ask” and “Pagbabasbas.” The group recorded Hangad A Cappella in 2002, an all a cappella album celebrating Jesuit favorites through new a cappella arrangements. To this day, the group’s repertoire for Masses, concerts, weddings, and Christmas prominently features a cappella pieces.


Walang Ibang Hangad will be the group’s first all a cappella concert since the launch of Hangad A Cappella.

Hangad’s creative director Domi Espejo likens a cappella music to prayer. “A cappella music is very bare, very vulnerable, and very pure… it’s just your voice… much like the way you come before God. That’s why the concert is titled ‘Walang Ibang Hangad’—because there’s desire to sing out to God, and nothing else.”


Hangad is a group of young professionals and students bound in friendship by their passion for helping others know God through liturgical and inspirational music. Over the last 15 years, they have recorded five albums, produced three music videos, and staged numerous inspirational concerts around and outside the Philippines.


Walang Ibang Hangad: An All A Cappella Concert will be held at 6 PM on July 8 and 15 (both Sundays) at the Francisco Santiago Hall, Equitable PCI Bank Tower 1 Auditorium, Makati Ave. cor H.V. Dela Costa Sts., Makati City. Tickets will be available at the gate for P150 each. For more information e-mail mail@hangad.com

Join Hangad in THE EASTER JOURNEY, a free concert at the Ateneo High School Chapel on Saturday, 10 March 2007 at 7:00pm (following a 5:30pm anticipated mass).

Join us as we sing praises and share our own brand of music with compositions created especially for the Lenten season as featured in the album, The Easter Journey (including the 2006 Awit Award winner for Best Inspirational song - Pieta(Oyayi sa Paanan ni Hesus).

As an early Easter gift to Hangad listeners and guests, we will be giving away music scores of Pag-ibig Ko and Walang Ibang Hangad to the first 20 guests.

Join us as we celebrate and give thanks for 15 years of blessings in our anniversary concert, "Labinlimang Hangad", at 7:30 PM (following the 6 PM anticipated Sunday Mass) on October 21, 2006, at Greenbelt Chapel in Ayala Center, Makati City. We will be performing some of our most loved songs from over the years, as well as some new ones including tracks from our soon-to-be-released yuletide offering A Wish for Christmas. Admission is free, so bring your family and friends. For more information, e-mail mail@hangad.com.

"Kung aawit ako ng mag-isa, awit ko'y awitin nga ba?
Sabayan mo ako Panginoon sa aking pagkanta."

In celebration of our 15th year, Hangad will once again host a choir workshop for parish-based choirs. The workshop will be an interactive, sharing & learning experience between Hangad and the various part icipating choirs. Resource speakers from Hangad will share the group's organization, spirituality and mus icality based on its 15-year experience as a music ministry. Participants will also learn a selection of songs from The Easter Journey album as well as bring home copies of song sheets from the same album. Complete details of the event as follows:

Hangad Workshop
October 14, 2006
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Conference Room 4, 2nd floor ISO building
Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Participation fee: P200.00 (inclusive of snacks and lunch)

For reservations and inquiries, contact Meechee at meechee@hangad.com
Slots are limited to 5 participants per choir only.

Hangad will celebrate 15 years as a music ministry this October 2006. Watch out for several concerts and activities lined up until 2007 including the launch of Hangad's 5 th album, a new website and choral workshops in Metro Manila and neighboring localities. Visit the Hangad website for updates.

Hangad launches its 5th album through a unique Christmas card CD. The originally designed Christmas card CD will contain 4 tracks including 2 original compositions entitled Child Emmanuel – a simple and uplifting choral Advent ballad and Raymond's Lullaby – a Christmas prayer written by a volunteer of the L'Acrhe organization. The Christmas card will retail for P90.00 and will soon be available in all Tanging Yaman kiosks of the Jesuit Music Ministry. The cards will also be available for bulk purchases for retail or corporate giveaways. To pre-order or learn about customizing your Christmas cards, please email mail@hangad.com.

In celebration of its 15th year, Hangad will be hosting a series of music ministry workshops around different parishes in Metro Manila and neighboring localities. The workshops will share significant learnings Hangad has had in its ministry plus teach selected pieces from its latest album – The Easter Journey. Several Hangad members will serve as the workshop's resource speakers including Leah Andal, Hangad's Overall Coordinator and Paulo Tirol, Hangad's Musical Director whose compositions and arrangements include the recent Awit Award winner Pieta (Oyayi sa Paanan ni Hesus). Workshop details will be posted in www.hangad.com once available. For inquiries about how your choir can host or participate in the workshop, email mail@hangad.com.

Hangad’s “Pieta (Oyayi sa Paanan ni Hesus)” received the Awit Award for Best Inspirational / Religious Song at the 19th Awit Awards pre-awards ceremony at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas Center last May 2, winning over three songs recorded by Gary V and one recorded by Christian Bautista.

The award was received by “Pieta” composer Paulo Tirol; first-time lyricist Michelle Joy Francia; and Julius Guevara, Hangad member and producer of The Easter Journey, the album in which “Pieta” was recorded.

“This is totally unexpected, and is totally an honor,” said Tirol on the group’s behalf, as they accepted the award. “Thank you to all those who continue to believe that music is an avenue by which to reach their God.”

“Pieta (Oyayi sa Paanan ni Hesus)” is Hangad’s second award. Its first was for the music video of “Simeon’s Canticle”, which received a Special Citation in the 2005 Catholic Mass Media Awards. Hangad’s work has also been a finalist for best inspirational / religious album (The Easter Journey, Catholic Mass Media Awards 2005) and best album design (Pasko Naming Hangad, Awit Awards 2003).

“Pieta (Oyayi sa Paanan ni Hesus)” was recorded in Hangad’s album The Easter Journey by Hangad featuring soloist Trin Panganiban-Custodio, with piano and cello accompaniment by Paulo Tirol and Nino Llorin respectively (cello arrangement by Jay Gomez). Launched in February 2005, The Easter Journey contains 23 tracks revolving around the themes of Lent and Easter. The songbook accompanying the album was released in March 2006.

A dramatic expression of Mary’s sorrow, strength and steadfastness as she cradles her dead son at the foot of the cross, “Pieta” begins with a choir singing a cappella phrases from “Ave Maria”, then moves into Mary’s lonely, haunting soliloquy of heartache and longing. Halfway through the song, Mary begins to wonder where God has been in all this; but soon surrenders to the Father’s will, repeating the words she uttered at the annunciation, “Ako’y alipin Mo, sundin ang loob Mo”. The song resolves into Michelangelo’s tender image of Mary’s faithfulness to her son, even unto his death.

Hangad is a group of young professionals bound by their love for helping others know God through music. Over the last 15 years, the group has recorded four albums and produced three music videos under the Jesuit Music Ministry; staged concerts in the Philippines and in the United States; and sang for numerous Masses, weddings, and events.

The Awit Awards is an award-giving body spearheaded by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry, Inc. (PARI), which recognizes the people behind Filipino recorded music.