The Story of Come Emmanuel
The idea for this concert has been with me for most of the year. Advent and Christmas have always held a special place in my heart, and nothing captures the season better than the music we sing together.
The title piece, Come Emmanuel, is one I first sang with the Ateneo Chamber Singers, a semi-professional choir in Manila where I performed from 2015 to 2023. Those years shaped me profoundly. Under the direction of Jonathan Velasco, the ensemble created music that moved audiences across the Philippines and abroad. Christmas with ACS was unlike any other—vibrant, joyful, and deeply rooted in our culture. In the Philippines, August already feels like Advent, and by September the Christmas season is in full swing. Music, family, food, laughter, and love all collided into one long celebration.
The song itself, written by Twila Paris, is more than just a Christmas anthem. It is an invitation: to Christ who comes into the world, and to us who are called to welcome Him. It reminds us that He comes not in glory but in humility, as vulnerable as any child—small yet divine, meek yet mighty. Gianpaolo Eleria’s arrangement of Come Emmanuel for ACS brought this truth to life, and it has remained a staple in my work with choirs ever since: from the Children’s Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, to my “home choir,” Subdominant 7: the Ateneo College Chapel Choir, where I first fell in love with serious music-making.
Designing a program around this piece felt natural. The music that surrounds it reflects its heart. Poulenc’s Hodie Christus Natus Est and Pärt’s Bogoroditsye Dyevo provide striking rhythmic and spiritual contrasts while still echoing the same message: the coming of Christ through the Blessed Virgin. The beloved Willcocks carols give our audience a chance to join in the singing, making the concert a shared celebration. And the final selections bring everything home—both literally and figuratively. For us at The Chronicle Singers, “home” is central to our concerts: Jesus as the home we seek, and music as the place where we belong.
We hope Come Emmanuel inspires you to draw closer to Christ, and more than that, to let His coming move you to act with love, hope, and joy.
- Kevin Gomez, Founder, Artistic Director
