Travelling roughly 87 kilometers from Laguna province and wrestling some couple of hours against heavy road traffic, 29-year old Carolynne Asistin, with her 4th-grade son, eventually reached the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

There were already long lines of people at the gates of the Big Dome waiting for entry when they arrived. She walked to the green gate, held her upper box ticket, and fell in line in one of the rows. About 10 minutes after, she has taken her seat inside and saw on the huge LED display on stage, “A Song of Praise (ASOP) Music Festival The Concert.”

The mere sight of it, Carolyn said, got her even more excited to hear the songs of praises to be performed by some of the country’s famous crooners that night. Daniel Razon, whose Isang Araw Lang album achieved gold-record status the day it was released, sang Pag-asa ng Puso (My Heart’s Hope) — one of the two praise songs he composed that were included in the repertoire.

“I was in tears and I felt the love of God for us the more, and for me, though I’m not worthy [of it],” Carolynne related when asked about her experience of the concert. She said that what really moved her were the lyrics of Daniel Razon’s compositions, Pag-asa ng Puso and Alay Sa’Yo (My Offering to You).

Kuya Daniel, a moniker the veteran journalist is also known for, said that the first song speaks of his heart’s prayer and hope to the Almighty One. The second composition, which some people thought was a love song, is categorically a gospel song.

“It is really intended for God… It tells a lot of things; it speaks about the goodness of God,” he explained in a recorded interview before performing his song on stage.

Alay Sa’Yo was performed by Jed Madela, Grand Winner of 2005 World Championship of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) and known as “The Voice” in the Philippine music industry.

Six other professional singers sung the 11 winning pieces of the ASOP Songwriting Festival held within MCGI since 2004. Interpreters include Roselle Nava, Bituin Escalante, Frenchie Dy, Jinky Vidal of Freestyle, Gerald Santos, and Almira Cercado of the Cercado Sisters. In an informal interview they had with Bro. Eli after their performances, each of them admitted that they too were moved by the spirit of the songs.

Days before the event night, Ms. Escalante, who is expecting a baby, revealed her pleasure for what she called ‘perfect timing.’ “At this point in my life, I feel so blessed to have the songs and to have someone written something that you feel inside. It’s perfect!” she said in an interview with UNTV reporters.

The ASOP concert, hosted by singer-actor Richard Reynoso and host-comedienne Toni Rose Gayda, was also a pre-launch of its carrier album A Song of Praise. The album features all 13 spiritual songs arranged by Vehnee Saturno and will be released this September under Universal Records.

Before the event ended, Bro. Eli Soriano of Ang Dating Daan and the architect of ASOP, recalled his dismay about people composing songs about almost everything – dogs and horses, DVDs, bikinis – but not for God. He said it was the very reason – to bring songs of praises back in the lives of people – why he pushed through the songwriting contest.

Bro. Eli, who is also a lyricist, is Mr. Razon’s maternal uncle and the author behind his winning poems, oration and declamation pieces way back his school years. During his teenage years, young Daniel took as inspiration for his song-writing craft the works of his uncle. In 2007, Daniel, already a noted broadcast journalist, started his music career.

“I observed his way of writing poems and how he put the lyrics to the songs he adapted…The message is weighty and deep,” Razon recounted in the vernacular. He added, “First of all, I heard from him the wisdom that inspired me to compose songs: the words of God that he teaches made me understand that songs of praises are important and are something that brings pleasure to God.”

Knowing that hymns of praises inspire people and delight God, Razon continues to create songs for the Almighty and encourages other composers to do the same. On September 4 (Sunday), a songwriting competition program called ASOP will kick off on UNTV. The show’s timeslot is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m..

With ASOP television program, Razon hopes to inspire not only Carolynne, but far more than the estimated 20,000 people present at the concert last August 22 in putting back God in their songs.

When the concert was over, Carolynne needn’t recall the chorus lines of Pag-asa ng Puso as it played over and over in her mind.

Tanging Ikaw pag-asa ng puso

Lakas at kalasag sa siphayo

Sa piling Mo’y hindi mabibigo

Hanggang langit Ikaw ang aking kasuyo

“I feel recharged and more inspired to sing more songs of thanksgiving and praises to God,” she uttered.