During a private party at wooden area of Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, a special flute performance was done by Palauan flutist Petra and Roberto Hernandez on the piano to the Christian music "You Raised Me Up".
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
PETRA -- FLUTE, ROBERTO -- PIANO
On March 14, 2016, there is a private function at the wooden area of Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort. I was approached by a flutist, whom I known only by her name Petra. She played flute during a wedding reception with Rmeriang Tmechtul, using the PRR keyboard at Breeze Bar. Roberto played music during the wedding held at the beach of PRR with Palau President Johnson Toribiong officiating the wedding ceremony.
Joy Ngitlab Whipps sang a couple of duet songs with Roland Tangelbad in Remengesau-Whipps, Jr. wedding. Now it's her turn to get married. BEST WISHES!!!
(Photo by Surangel Whipps, Jr.)
PLAYING MUSIC AT WEDDINGS
I’VE PLAYED to a lot of weddings (at the church or at the reception) since 1990. One of them was when one of my lady piano students got married. She specifically mentioned that I play four of her favorite songs in which I remembered only 3 of them: “Somewhere In Time”, “Looking Through The Eyes Of Love” and “Endless Love”.
She
is one of the 3 daughters of a lady doctor that I’ve taught for more than a
year. It’s one of the special “offer” that I’m doing for playing in a wedding
–accepting special songs for that occasion. If I know the songs, I don’t need
to practice those. If I don’t know the songs, I’ll ask for a CD and a week of
practice like what I did to the wedding of Filipina Rhea to her husband Mr.
Richardson, in which she asked me to play “Everyday I Love You” by Boyzone,
“There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill and 2 more that I can’t recall.
In Palau, the wedding of the century was held in August 22, 1999 between Valerie Ngereblunt Esang Remengesau, sister of then President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. and Surangel ‘Samuel’ Whipps, Jr., now a Senator. Less than a month before the wedding, I was contracted by the couple to play at the church and at the reception.
During
practice of the singers, I was paid $25.00 per hour practicing a duet song with
Weena Mario to the song “I Finally Found Someone”, a solo by Yvonne Remeliik --“Save
The Best For Last”, a Bridal Processional duet song by Joy Ngitlab Whipps and
Roland Tangelbad to the song “From This Moment On”. They also sang during the
Lighting of the Unity Candle the song “Only God Could Love You More”.
I
also play during the Prelude at church and at the reception. After the church
prelude, I also play during the wedding processional the sax instrumental of Kenny
G-- “The Moment”. With a touch of contemporary wedding and music, the “Truly
Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden was played using a CD during the recessional.
The
Wedding Ceremony was held at The Sacred Heart Church and the Reception was held
at Outrigger Palasia Hotel. In both wedding ceremony programme and reception
programme, Robert Hernandez was mentioned 4 times in both programmes.
The
other pianists were Richard Dingle and Adrian Pedro. Clarinet by Tmetuchel
Baules while the other vocalists were Julna Alcantara, Aunice Yuzi, Dina
Ngermekar, Delma Gideon and Eunice Otong.
The Emcees were Blanche Salii and Marvin Sinau.
In April 25, 2002, I also played at the Jeremy-Eva wedding reception in Palau.
June 16, 2002, the Londa-Secilil wedding reception was held at Palau Pacific Resort Poolside and I played there using my own equipment. The place is too big for my speaker to handle. I can hardly hear my music.
On
February 12, 2003, the Tan-Salmorin wedding reception was held at Airai View
Hotel. Played there also using the white Yamaha grand piano.
I played also during the wedding reception of Uchel Tmechtul at Airai View Hotel. The date I can’t remember. It’s one of the many occasions that Amante Caballero used to be my guest singer like the Remengesau-Whipps, Jr.’s wedding reception.
In
August 18, 2007, in my second month as musician at Palau Royal Resort, I played
at the church wedding of Dr. Tina Maledeo and Joseph Aaron Miravalles at Father
McManus Church. The reception is supposed to be at PRR but they didn’t agree on
some conditions so they did it at PPR in the evening where I can’t play at the
reception because I’m playing piano at PRR from 6pm – 11 pm.
In April 17, 2010, I played in the PRR beach wedding where Palau President Johnson
Toribiong was the one who officiate the wedding. The bride, Dengelei Ngirkelau, is a Palauan and the
groom, Shawntrae Landrum, from New York is a military guy. I played the Hawaiian Wedding Song during the
ceremony. When I’m playing the “Betik Ra Renguk A Lekebil”, a beautiful Palauan
love song, somebody asked me to sing it. The guests are surprised that I can
sing it like I understand the meaning of the song.
HERE, Petra and Rmeriang played flute and keyboard respectively while the bride and the groom are dancing. Rmeriang is all praise of the quality of sound of the Yamaha keyboard as it sounds like a real grand piano. Her only complain is the sustain pedal which is very noisy because it is more than 30 years old. I bought it in Japan while playing with First Quarter Band in April 04-Sept. 28, 1982.
When
I sang that song at Rose Garden Resort in August 2005, Senator Alan Seid and
his wife Sophie can’t resist dancing with this song. A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE—A
FILIPINO SINGING PALAUAN LOVE SONG AND A SENATOR AND HIS WIFE DANCE TO HIS
MUSIC AND SONG.
Lastly,
I played in a church wedding where the groom has a hearing problem. When it’s
time for the priest to ask him, “Do you accept this woman to be your beloved
wife?” there’s no reply from him because he has a hearing problem. The bride
stepped on his foot and he replied, “Yes!”
There’s
no problem with the lighting of the unity candle and the cord but during the
exchange of rings, the groom can’t understand what the priest is saying about
putting the ring to the bride’s ring finger.
The priest used his thumb and forefinger to make an “o” or ring-shaped character and used his ring finger to put it inside the “o” to illustrate to the groom that he needs to put the ring to the bride’s ring finger.
BUT
THE GROOM MISUNDERSTOOD THE PRIEST’S “SIGN LANGUAGE” AND SAID SOMETHING THAT
MAKES EVERYBODY LAUGH --- “FATHER, THAT’S FOR TONIGHT!”
Source: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 10-11
Volume 21 Issue 38
June 14, 2012
She also asked me later that day to tune their piano one of these days.
Source: Music and Me
By Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 2013 -- March 31, 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment