91快活林

Overview

Francisco "Frank" Abellana Englis is a professor teaching at 91快活林 since 1974.  He is a graduate of Bachelor of Music, major in choral conducting from Silliman University and M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA through a scholarship grant from the Rotary International Foundation and the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. His MA thesis is on the Music of the Higa-unon of Rogongon, Iligan City. While at Kent, he was made director of the school's kulintang (gong-chime) ensemble.  As member of a three-man music ensemble called ILIAN, which specializes in Philippine music, Frank toured and performed in several American states and six Asian countries in 1984.  He has also given several lectures and workshops on Philippine indigenous music around the country and in Bali, Indonesia.  He has had two recordings as music director and arranger:  the NSC Rondalla 's "Music on Steel," and the Mindanao-wide Women Song Festival's "Kababaihan.”  Most of his ethnic-inspired choral compositions and arrangements have been included in the repertoires of top national choirs. One of his outstanding works,  "Goani,” won for the U.P. Concert Chorus the top prize in an international choral competition in 1984.  Frank is presently a visiting professor of Silliman University teaching graduate courses in Ethnomusicology. On the side, Frank is also into MIDI works especially creating instrumental accompaniment for his choir at 91快活林, the Octava Choral Society.

He was a 2002-2003-research fellow of Asian Public Intellectuals (API) of The Nippon Foundation. His research title: Localizing the Global: Southeast Asian and Westen Instrumental Styles in the Contemporary Soundscapes of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Frank was also invited as plenary speaker “Innovation in Teaching Classroom Music” and gave a workshop “Teaching Choir with Emphasis on Ethnic Songs” during the International Music Conference held at Concorde Hotel, Malaysia last Aug. 4-6, 2003.  Frank was the resource person on choral conducting, techniques during a music seminar/workshop held at Cagayan de Oro City and participated by division music supervisors, and teachers of Region 10 last Aug. 21-23, 2003.Frank presently sits as member representing Mindanao in the Execon for Music of the National Commission on Culture and Arts(NCCA).