27th Bamboo Organ Fest at Las Piñas tomorrow

Tomorrow the town of Las Piñas is going to celebrate the most unique international organ festival in the whole world. No great organist lives in Las Piñas. But for the past 27 years, great organists from all over the world go to Las Piñas to play the most unique organ in the world – the Las Piñas bamboo organ. This year the concert will be devoted to Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions and Grazer Dom Kantorei from Austria, Kalevi Kiviniemi from Finland and conductor Joseph Doller will be the guests with the local participation of the Manila Orchestra II, soloist Armando Salarza, Justin U. Texton and Berly Garcia. Every Filipino who has the opportunity should hear the music that comes from the Las Piñas bamboo organ at least once in his lifetime.

The organ is a unique instrument in two ways. First, it is the largest musical instrument in the world. It fits in the church where it will be played and cannot be moved from its loft. It, therefore, cannot be brought to the organist who will play it. The organist is the one who has to go to the place where it was constructed. The second distinction is that it is the only wind instrument where the air set in vibration does not emanate from the musician’s lungs. There were primitive organs as early as two centuries before Christ. But the organ as we know it today has hardly changed in the past 500 years.

There was a time when all musical instruments were banned by the church. Liturgical music was for the enhancement of oral prayer, therefore, it had to be vocal. But sometime during the 6th century, the organ gained entry to the church. A special loft had to be provided for the instrument.

The Las Piñas bamboo organ was the creation of the Recollect friar, Diego Cera, who in 1795 became the first parish priest of Las Piñas. Before being appointed to Las Piñas, he caused a sensation by making the very first Philippine piano. Governor-General Rafael Maria de Aguilar believed that it was superior to piano fortes produced in Spain or England. So it was sent to Carlos IV’s Queen Maria Luisa.

Then Cera constructed the church organ in the Recollects church in Intramuros. Of the organ’s 33 steps, one was of bamboo. The Recollect church organ, therefore, was the Las Piñas bamboo organ in potentia. The Recollect organ was a sensation. Its pipes were not consolidated on the loft, but dispersed in group arrangements along the surrounding walls, all the way to the altar. So the sound came from all directions. It was so interesting that it distracted from the services! It was one of the priceless things we lost during liberation.

We urge all those who love things Philippine to attend the Las Piñas International Festival starting tomorrow.