aEMY'S WANDERLUST
"the gladdest moment in human life is the departure to unknown lands"
28/8/2011 0 Comments Philippine Bamboo OrganKnown around the world as one of the most unique instruments, the world’s one and only Bamboo Organ sits just 10 kilometers to the south of the centre of Manila. This truly amazing instrument can be witnessed in its full glory every February when internationally acclaimed musicians gather at St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piñas to play a large assortment of compositions on this extraordinary instrument. HISTORY: The builder of both the church and its organ was Father Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, a Catholic priest under the Augustinian Recollects. A native of Spain, he served as parish priest in Las Piñas from 1795 to 1830. Historians portray him as a gifted man, a natural scientist, chemist, architect, community leader, as well as organist and organ builder.[3] Having previously built organs in the Manila area with some organ stops made from bamboo, he chose bamboo for most of this organ - only the trumpet stops are made of metal. The choice of bamboo was probably both practical and aesthetic - bamboo was abundant and used for hundreds of items of both a practical and an artistic nature. Fr. Cera began work on the organ in 1816, while the church was still under construction. The church was completed in 1819 and the organ was playable in 1821, but without the trumpet stops. The organ was finally completed in 1824 after Fr. Cera decided to use metal for the trumpets whose character he cannot reproduce with bamboo During Fr. Cera's lifetime, disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons damaged both church and organ. Fr. Cera himself was the organ's first "restorer."[4] Down through the years, natural disasters continued to take their toll; the organ was unplayable for years. Somewhat unexpectedly reassembled early in the 20th century, partial restoration took place from time to time up through World War II. In recent years, several concerted attempts were made to save the instrument. In 1972, a contract for total restoration was awarded to Johannes Klais Orgelbau KG in Bonn, Germany, and it was shipped there in 1973. While the restoration of the organ was taking place in Germany, a massive project was completed at the church. With the help of the community of Las Piñas and many others in the Manila area, the church grounds were restored to its original state. The restored organ returned home in March 1975, to a joyous welcome by the people of the Philippines. The joint restoration of the church and organ was a triumph of local and international cooperation. Since then, the church have been the scene of many concerts and festivals. The Bamboo Organ is described by many international organ masters as one of the finest old organs in the world.[citation needed] Its construction of bamboo is noted as being one of the major factors that gives it a truly unique and lively sound. To retain a high standard of quality and reliability, the Bamboo Organ underwent a general overhaul from September, 2003 to November, 2004. This time, the work was done locally by European-trained organ builders of the Diego Cera Organbuilders, Inc. who are also tasked with maintaining the instrument so that future generations will be assured of hearing and experiencing the unique sound of a Philippine treasure. The National Museum of the Philippines officially declared the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ a National Cultural Treasure on March 11, 2004 for its uniqueness and significance. **Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Pi%C3%B1as_Bamboo_Organ HOW TO GET THERE: From Manila to Las Piñas and Back: The Coastal Road that runs throughout the southern length of Metro Manila’s shoreline with Manila Bay is a very important artery for people commuting to and from Manila to Las Piñas and Cavite. You can get to Las Piñas on buses from Taft Avenue in Manila bound for Zapote or Cavite and just tell the conductor to inform you when to get off. Approximate bus fare will not exceed P50.00. Happy viewing :)
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AuthorRoamer. Wanderer. Explorer. Risk Taker. Nature Lover. Adventurer. Solo Tripper. CategoriesAll Baguio Batangas Benguet Bicol Bolinao Bulacan Cagayan Cavite Cebu Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Laguna Las Piñas City La Union Makati Mindoro Pangasinan Paoay Rizal Sagada Archives
October 2017
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