“Sibling revelry,” the concert that featured Raymond Lauchengco and sister Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo together for the first time, had hefty servings of well-loved standards, jazzed-up pop classics from the ’70s and ’80s, and specially-arranged theater musical numbers.

Held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati on Valentine’s Day, the almost three-hour show provided a retrospective of the siblings’ divergent career paths.

Backed by an eight-piece band, Raymond the crooner and Menchu the theater diva took turns at exhibiting their individual strengths and styles, yet joined forces at different cues to bring the crowd back to a time when music was defined by elegant vocal renditions and well-crafted melodies.

Raymond, clad in a tuxedo, interpreted Frank Sinatra (“That Old Black Magic”, “As Time Goes By”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Strangers in the Night,” among others) complete with Ol’ Blue Eyes’ signature phrasing and swagger—but without the dry gin martini.

Most comfortable in alto, his interpretation of standards focused on feeling, with hardly any soaring vocals that many other performers sometimes resort to.

High point

An emotional high point came via Raymond’s rendition of his ’80s hit, “So it’s You”—given more meaning, he said, by the birth of his daughter. She shared the stage with him.

Menchu, on the other hand, played the role of classic diva, sparkling in her long dresses reminiscent of glamorous Hollywood movie stars of a bygone era—but with an extensive vocal range.

Her version of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” became the night’s favorite torch song, sending many old souls in the audience swooning.

Goosebump-inducing was Menchu’s rendition of “Someone to Watch Over Me,” a Broadway song that became a pop standard.

The Lauchengcos also did various duets, including “You Make Me Feel so Young” (another Sinatra hit) and songs from the Osmonds and the Carpenters.

While Menchu seemed a little out of her element singing pop tunes, the audience, many of them family and friends, did not seem to mind.

A few times, though, we wondered whether the siblings were harmonizing, or singing in different keys altogether.

Again nobody seemed to care. Not even the uncomfortable (for concert watching) Tiffany chairs mattered—or other couples seated at your table. On that night, it was all about the music.