I ATTENDED the most hauntingly beautiful candle-lit string concierto by the Manila Philharmonic Quartet at the once-spooky attic of the First United Building in Escolta. I brought my teenage daughter Stella. It was an unforgettable experience. The last time we saw the attic of the 1928 building was in 2019 when she was just 10. As a family, we are regulars in Escolta, Binondo, Intramuros and other older, non-touristy parts of the city. This is what having an urban-planning-trained mom and journalist dad is like for our girls.

The concierto, 'Emotions II,' featured the MPO string quartet in the center of a square concrete room with a high vaulted dome. They were surrounded by LED-white candles that flickered at different heights on the floor. The room went from afternoon natural light from two small windows to complete darkness by sunset, with only the candles as the source of light. There were about 30 guests, all seated around the performers against the wall.