New Bilibid Prison. Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia

Prisoners at the Philippines' maximum security penitentiary in Muntinlupa City gave their first public concert on Tuesday 8 June 2010.

According to Teresa Cerojano of Associated Press, the 100-member Bureau of Corrections Grand Orchestra and Chorale at the New Bilibid Prison played Broadway pieces and love songs in the local Tagalog language to prison officials,  relatives and members of the media. A soloist sang New York, New York as women inmates in top hats and coat-tails danced.

Prison officials and organisers said the project was part of efforts to showcase the musical talents of inmates and help prepare them for release.

Bureau of Corrections Director Oscar Calderon said he hopes to reform inmates through music and 'remove their criminal minds, soften up their feelings'.

Warren Zingapan, an inmate who organised the performance, said that, because music transcends barriers, the symphony and chorale members feel that even while they are physically detained, their music can go beyond the walls of the facility. 'Just by that alone... it is as if they are free.'