The Last Pinas Bamboo Organ: Centuries-old Grandeur
Posted on Saturday, 9 August 2014
The
Las Piῆas Bamboo Organ:
Centuries Old Grandeur
Of
the Music World
By Apolinario Villalobos
The bamboo organ of Las Piῆas was
built in the early 19th century, particularly, from 1816 to 1824 by
the Spanish missionary, Diego Cera of the Order of Recoletos. A remarkable man
who got varied interests in the fields of architecture, natural science and
agriculture, he became an organ builder by necessity. The stone church of Las
Piῆas that he built, needed an instrument of such kind and having no
fund for this undertaking, he decided to make one with the use of an indigenous
material, the bamboo.
His lack of education and training in the
field of music did not deter him from pursuing his project. He painstakingly
selected hardwood for the frame, patiently pegging them together with dowels
instead of nails to resist the high temperature and humidity of the
environment.
He carved the 1,000 flute pipes with his
own hands from the hardy bamboo stalks because it was then difficult to obtain
materials of lead, copper and zinc alloys necessary for the parts. His
ingenuity proved to be practical as the bamboo pipes resisted the moisture in
the air which causes rust in iron materials. Later on, however, additional
pipes of zinc-lead alloy imported from Spain were added to enhance the mellow
sound of the organ.
The instrument, with its 3.5 tons of
weight, remains one of the world’s largest single-manual organs. But remarkable
of all, are its bamboo flutes that produce marvelous sound, an historical,
musical and technical rarity.
In 1972, the private sector joined hands
with the government in launching the “Himig ng Kawayan” Project to raise funds
for the restoration of the centuries old bamboo organ of Las Piῆas
which was damaged by a typhoon in 1880, after which, the organ remained idle. A
sad description of the unique organ’s state was made by Fr. Marc Lesage, CICM,
parish priest and curator of the bamboo organ, during the time.
As described, the base pipes were
disconnected and only 500 out of the 832 pipes produced sound; horizontal
trumpets numbering to 121 were not functioning, the dusty zinc pipes which
imitated the sounds of birds were reduced to uselessness; the six stops ceased
to function; and, a crack which developed in the wind chest that supplied air to
the tubes, caused the volume to lose strength. Loose keys and pedals made it
difficult to harmonize the notes. Still, other parts were missing.
When it was finally set for rehabilitation,
the task was given to Hans Gerd Klais Orgalbau of Bonn, Germany. According to
him, when he first heard it played in 1966, it sounded just basically alright.
But due to years of neglect, it required immediate repair. He even added that
he found a bird’s nest inside the instrument.
The instrument was dismantled and flown to
Germany, and the consideration on the temperature was late in coming. The
bamboo as a tropical material gave the repair group a headache. As a last
resort, a special repair room had to be built, where the hot and humid climate
of the Philippines had to be simulated to prevent the bamboo parts from drying
and cracking. Replacements for the damaged bamboo pipes were especially made by
the Yamaha-Hamamaku music firm in Tokyo, Japan. The rehabilitation of the organ
was completed after two years of meticulous repair that included replacement of
damaged parts and tuning to bring it back to its former glorious form.
Klais was not sure of the total cost he
incurred, but estimated it to be more than 200,000 marks. It was Philippine
Ambassador Mauro S. Calingo who received the totally repaired instrument in
Germany. Finally, in 1975, the priceless musical heritage was again enshrined
back in its “home”, the St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piῆas
City. A Filipino in the person of Marciano Jacela was trained by the Klais firm
to maintain the organ.
Since 1992, Prof. Armando V. Salarza was
given the privilege as its titular player. He is also the Artistic Director of
the International Bamboo Organ Festival which is considered as the
longest-running international music festival in the country held for one week,
every February.
The bamboo organ has been declared as a
national cultural treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. Its
preservation and maintenance are being undertaken by the Bamboo Organ
Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization, which is also involved
in the spiritual, social and educational uplift of the residents of Las Piῆas
City. To date, it has already sent many scholars to Austria to hone their skill
in playing the instrument, study church music, choir conducting, and develop
skill in the maintenance of the organ. It also takes charge of the holding of
the International Bamboo Organ Festival, held permanently at the St. Joseph
Parish Church in Las Piῆas City.
Las Piῆas
City is about 10 – 15 minutes from the Manila International Airport and
Baclaran, depending on the traffic. Practically, every taxi driver knows the
way to St. Joseph Parish Church where it is enshrined… just mention, “bamboo
organ”.
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