Watching Tuesday evening the enthralling rendition of the “Impossible Dream” by Filipino sopranos Rachelle Gerodias, Joanna Ampil; Vietnamese tenor Duc Tuan with Honna Tesuji, a Japanese, conducting a specially assembled Symphony Orchestra composed of Filipino musicians during the Vietnam National Day celebration at the Sofitel Hotel, what came to my mind was one of Philippine democracy’s martyr, Evelio Javier, whose widow, Precious Lotilla-Javier was laid to rest in Antique Wednesday.
“The Impossible Dream” was Evelio’s favorite song.
The song is from the musical “Man from La Mancha”, which was adapted from Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes’ masterpiece “Don Quixote.”
Precious’ moving tribute to Evelio at the end of the latter’s funeral mass in February 1986 (Evelio’s assassination sparked the first People Power that ended the 20-year Marcos dictatorship), had references to the dreamer Don Quixote character.