Silent Sanctuary has never been a conventional rock band. Since its early years, the six-piece Filipino rock group has woven classical string instruments into its music.
Twenty-four years later, the band is set to bring that signature sound to its biggest stage yet as it performs with the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), one of Asia’s oldest orchestras, and the Viva Voce Choir, a Manila-based vocal ensemble.
Although the collaboration marks a milestone for the concert, Silent Sanctuary is no stranger to sharing the stage with the MSO. The band first appeared as a guest performer in the MSO’s Rocketstra concerts in 2005 and again in 2018, performing only a handful of songs.
For the upcoming concert, however, the orchestra will join the band for much of the show, accompanying nearly 20 songs with specially arranged orchestral performances.
‘This is the ultimate realization of our vision for our music,’ Anjo Inacay, the band’s cellist, said partly in Filipino during the band’s July 10 press briefing, which he said will bring the band’s long-held artistic direction of blending classical music with rock to life.
Vocalist and guitarist Raymund ‘Sarkie’ Sarangay chimed in that the collaboration has also challenged the band to rethink its catalog, particularly songs that originally featured little or no orchestral accompaniment.
‘It’s exciting because some of our songs don’t have strings, while others don’t have wind sections or percussion. We’re creating new arrangements for those,’ Sarangay said in Filipino.
Together with band members Ronnie Ropal on bass guitar, Allen Calixto on drums, and Kim Mirandilla-Ng on violin, Sarangay said they are exploring the orchestra’s full range of instruments to develop arrangements that complement each song and offer audiences a new way of experiencing their familiar tracks.
‘We’ll really explore the full orchestra and find arrangements that best suit the songs we’ll be performing,’ he said.
The concert, titled ‘Gabi ng Lambing,’ will be directed by Paolo Valenciano, with Ria Osorio serving as musical director. It is scheduled at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on October 25, 2026, with an additional performance on October 24.
The band described the October 24 performance as a ‘reverse’ second show, as it was added ahead of the original concert date after no later arena dates were available.
Sarangay, meanwhile, said it feels as though the band will have an additional member who will come up with fresh ideas for the arrangements and ensure that each instrument in the orchestra has its moment to shine.
‘We don’t want the orchestra to be heard only as a whole. We really want people to hear the oboe, the clarinet, and the other instruments individually, while still retaining the feel of some of our greatest hits,’ he added.
Inacay said the band is happy to serve as a bridge that introduces more people to classical music through their songs.
‘If our music can encourage someone to pick up a violin and cello, I think nagawa na nung music namin yung isa sa mga purpose na ma-encourage ang mga tao to open their instrument,’ Inacay said.
According to the band, the upcoming concert represents a ‘peak moment’ in their career, following the quick sellout of tickets, with the first day’s show reaching full capacity within five hours. They added that the two concert dates will feature different experiences to avoid spoilers for fans attending either performance.
The group also expressed optimism about continuing to create music for their supporters while striving to evolve and further improve their craft.