THE INTERNATIONAL BAMBOO ORGAN FESTIVAL: A MUSICAL LEGACY
MANILA
FEBRUARY 19, 2008
MANILA, FEBRUARY 19, 2008 (STARweek) By Ida Anita Q. del Mundo - Bamboo is known for its strength, its flexibility and its ability to last through time. In the same way, the International Bamboo Organ Festival (IBOF) has endured and flourished. Now on its 33rd year, the festival has consistently supported and showcased Filipino talent.
Declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2003, the famous Las Piñas Bamboo Organ was created by Spanish priest Fr. Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen. The Agustinian priest – who was also a scientist, chemist, architect, and organist – served as the community’s parish priest. Fr. Cera started working on the bamboo organ in 1816 and completed it in 1824. He is also considered the organ’s first restorer as natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes damaged the organ throughout the time that Fr. Cera served in the church. Last July 26, 2007 marked Fr. Cera’s 245th birth anniversary.
This year’s IBOF, scheduled from February 21-29, will feature tenor Randy Gilongco, singers Isay Alvarez and Robert Seña, the Festival Orchestra under the baton of Chino Toledo, the Las Piñas Men’s Choir, the Las Piñas Boys Choir led by Armando Salarza, Coro Tomasino, organists Alejandro Consolacion II and Rea Jimenez, and guest organist Ghislain Leroy.
Frenchman Leroy was born in Tourcoing in 1982 to musician parents who are both organists. Between 2001 and 2003 he studied at the Ruiel-Malmaison Regional National Conservatory where he was recipient of the First Prize and the Prize of Perfection in the Organ discipline. In 2004 he won the Harmony prize at the Paris Dance and Music Conservatory, while also attending organ classes at the Lyon Dance and Music Conservatory. In the same year the jury of the Fifth International Organ Competition of the City of Paris awarded him the Premier Grand Prix d’Inter-pretation. At present he continues his musical training in Lyon with Liesbeth Schlumberger and Francois Espinasse; he also regularly gives concerts in Paris (at Notre Dame, La Madeleine, Ste. Clotilde, and St. Eustace) as well as all over France and around the world.
Holding their own in the international festival, the young talents of the Las Piñas Boys Choir are full of enthusiasm and determination. The IBOF has definitely brought light to their talent and has opened up many opportunities for them and their music. The choir has come a long way since Belgian priest Fr. Leo Renier founded it in 1969. Since then, the young musicians have given performances all over the Philippines including at Malacañang and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. They also won first place in the Third National Competition of Children’s Choirs. The choir is now preparing to make their international debut in the World Choir Olympics to be held in Austria from July 9 to 19.
The 33rd IBOF kicks off with an invitational gala concert on Feb. 21 specially prepared for guests and sponsors. Feb. 22 marks the start of public concerts with an evening of organ music featuring Ghislain Leroy who will perform both on the bamboo organ and the contemporary organ. The Las Piñas Boys Choir will shine in concert on Feb. 23 under the baton of Armando Salarza with organist Alejandro Consolacion II and the Las Piñas Men’s Choir. Robert Seña and Isay Alvarez will perform popular songs in a concert under the stars in the church patio on Feb. 24. The gala concert will be repeated on Feb. 25 featuring organists Rea Jimenez and Armando Salarza.
The festival culminates with Messa di Gloria on Feb. 27 and 29, in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Written in 1880, the Messa di Gloria is the composer’s only mass. Featured soloists for the night will be Randy Gilongo, tenor, and Noel Azcona, baritone, together with the Coro Tomasino and the Festival Orchestra led by Chino Toledo.
Throughout the years, the IBOF has come to highlight not just a simple instrument but more importantly, the music and talent of Filipinos. This year’s concert series promises to continue this legacy of thriumphant music.
Though it was deemed unplayable for years because of wear and tear from natural and man made causes, the bamboo organ, true to the nature of its material, withstood the elements. The International Bamboo Organ Festival is a testament to the bamboo organ’s endurance and a celebration of a community’s determination to keep their music alive.
