Church Events

A Sacred Sabbath Vespers Piano Concert

by Mary Grace Gellekanao

October 2nd, at 5:30 pm

Grace was born on March 7, 1979, in Riverside Medical Center, Bacolod City, Philippines. She and her family lived in one compound, and even when she was very little, her parents would often leave Grace in the care of her grandma. "Even though my parents weren't vocal about it, I could sense that at first they were having a hard time accepting the fact that their eldest child had been born with a physical disability," explains Grace. "'Lola' took very good care of me and was the person who encouraged me in music. She is the one who, when I was 6 years old, brought me to a music school. Upon seeing my condition, the teacher was initially hesitant to accept me as her student. However, my grandma persisted until she was able to convince the teacher."

Grace has been playing ever since. "I got enrolled with the financial support of my grandfather," she says, "and thanks to [my grandparents'] belief in me, I was able to discover an important part of myself. It didn't take long before my knowledge about music improved, and now I am capable of playing difficult pieces. I still practice at least four hours
a day."

In 1994 Mary Grace and her teacher, Mrs. Sylvia Javellana, decided that she was ready to present a solo organ recital. The following year, Volunteers for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped and the Disabled, Inc., gave her the opportunity to perform a solo piano recital. But it was 1996 that proved to be a breakout year for Mary Grace.

"The most unforgettable year for me was 1996," she recalls. "I went to many places to perform." In February she went to Guam for a solo piano/organ concert during the fortieth founding anniversary of the Guam Seventh-day Adventist Clinic. Two months later, together with some of her fellow students from the music school, Mary Grace started a recital tour of Europe. A memorable recital took place in Frankfurt, Germany, at the Buergerhaus of Hausen, for the Family Club of Offenbach. Among the guests who attended the recital was a former ambassador to Germany, the Honorable Francisco del Rosario. Afterward the musicians toured parts of Europe, and on their way home to the Philippines they passed through Bangkok, Thailand. Mary Grace's performances didn't stop there.

"A lot more concerts followed as I basked in the opportunities to share my musical gift with my audience and win the love and appreciation of my own family along the way," adds Mary Grace, explaining that her parents especially had a difficult time accepting her disability. "I tried to understand their reactions to my misfortune, though I was really affected by their discomfiture. Nevertheless, I still feel that in one way or another, I'm lucky that God endowed me with the gift of playing the piano and the organ, which gives me so much compensation for my condition. As the saying goes, 'I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.'"