Ang pag-awit ni Lea Salonga ng Filipino song na "Payapang Daigdig" ang itinuturing na isa sa mga hindi makalilimutan at hindi inaasahang sandali sa tatlong gabing (December 15, 16 & 17, 2022) Christmas concert ng The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra na ginanap sa Conference Center sa Salt Lake City, USA.
Si Lea ang featured guest artist sa Christmas concert.
Pinahanga ng Filipino Broadway star ang mga nanood sa 21,000-seater venue dahil sa kanyang world-class na pagtatanghal.
Ikinuwento ni Emily Abel sa artikulo nito sa Latter-Day Saint Life ang naramdaman niyang inspirasyon nang kantahin ng multi-awarded Filipino singer ang "Payapang Daigdig," kahit hindi niya naiintindihan ang lyrics nito.
Lahad ni Abel, “I don’t know a word of the Filipino language Tagalog, but that didn’t stop me from understanding the tenderness of this song as it was sung by guest artist Lea Salonga.
“Before she began singing, Lea (who is the singing voice of not one but two Disney princesses) explained that this song comes from her homeland of the Philippines.
"Legend has it that in 1945, a young boy climbed atop a roof in the capital city of Manila and looked out over the destruction brought to his beloved city by World War II.
“With that sobering sight in view, he penned a beautiful song longing for peace on earth for all mankind. The song has been called the Philippine equivalent of “Silent Night” and has been a source of inspiration for people for decades.
“Despite my inability to understand the lyrics, it somehow became a source of inspiration for me too.
"Lea sang it with not only technical expertise but with great emotion. Her heartfelt voice totally captivated an audience of what I assume was mostly English speakers, a testament to me that every human heart longs for the same things, whether they are from Salt Lake City or Manila.
"And in a beautiful way, that unites us all."
Sinabi naman ni Lea sa panayam ng Deseret News ng Salt Lake City na ang kanyang kapatid na si Gerard Salonga ang nagmungkahing awitin niya sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ang "Payapang Daigdig" sa Christmas concert ng popular 360-voice choir ng The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints o Mormon Church.
Isang karanasan para kay Lea na makasama nito sa pagtatanghal ang The Tabernacle Choir dahil sa mainit na pagtanggap sa kanya ng manonood.
“But once there was an audience and once I saw that this place was full, and the energy changes, the temperature changes. And it’s like ‘Wow!’ I think with every performance venue, there’s an electricity that becomes very palpable.
“I just felt grateful that I could experience it in this way — in such a wonderful, beautiful way
“It is quite something to be surrounded by that sound and being onstage just maybe a few feet downstage of the most downstage person in the choir and to be enveloped by that sound,” pahayag ni Lea.