A fireworks face-off at the 3rd Int’l Pyromusical Competition

The thing about fireworks is, no matter how many you’ve seen in your lifetime, they still manage to inspire awe even when they’re the cheap kind set off on a tiny street on New Year’s Eve. It’s much more so when they’re top-quality, perfectly choreographed pyrotechnics, as is the case at the 3rd Philippine International Pyromusical Competition.   This year’s competition started last Feb. 11 and continued every Saturday thereafter as teams from South Korea, Malta, the United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, Portugal, China and the Netherlands broke out their best pyrotechnics in explosive combat. This Saturday, March 17, will be the last in the competition at the seaside area of the Mall of Asia.   Last March 10, it was Australia’s Fireworkx Inc. going up against Canada’s Fireworks Spectacular. It was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. but people camped out by the Manila Bay breakwater as early as 5 in the afternoon. By the time the show began over half an hour later than scheduled, the audience was already antsy.   The judges were named, the criteria were explained, but it seemed that people couldn’t care less. The crowd’s impatient groans could’ve turned into an angry mob chant of “Fireworks! Fireworks!” had the countdown to Australia’s set been delayed for another minute.   The audience’s restlessness was quelled soon enough as the iconic opening fanfare from “Also Sprach Zarathustra” soared over the restive chatter, and glittering fingers of gold soared into the sky and dropped into the black waters along with the music’s crests and lulls.   Australia’s soundtrack turned out to be a medley of movie theme songs—the fanfare from “2001: A Space Odyssey” melted into “Eye of the Tiger,” the “Rocky” theme, and on to the “Pink Panther” song.   The Aussie team’s fireworks evolved with the music, from all-gold fountains that trickled into the sea, to colorful explosions that made the black canvas of night sky look like Jackson Pollock’s handiwork.   After an intermission that felt too long for the excited audience, it was Canada’s turn to seize the sky.   Their display began with a lot of low-flying fireworks dancing to a slow, pensive tune in perfect precision. As the music gave way to Amanda Marshall’s “Let it Rain,” the pyrotechnics seemed to heed the words as they rose higher and burst in a torrent of sparks.   The rest of the set unfolded in precision and color coordination. The low-flying sparks eventually built up to skyrocketing bursts, and the show ended in a spectacular finale that filled the entire sky, from the highest point down to the horizon.   It was hard to determine how long the entire show lasted exactly. The spectacle in the sky and the reflections that danced in the water made it easy to lose one’s sense of self and time.   As the last of the pyrotechnics disappeared into the bay, the suddenly pitch-black sky, too-dim stars and too-still and quiet air served as a rude awakening. Perhaps, that’s why people never tire of fireworks; for as long as they’re up in the air, the world as we know it disappears and melts into pure spectacle. – YA, GMA News   The final fireworks showdown will pit Italy’s Orzella Fireworks against the Philippines’ Platinum Fireworks. The show is scheduled on March 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at P1,500 (Patron with dinner), P500 (VIP), P300 (Gold), and P100 (Silver). For more information, visit www.pyrophilippines.com