The Las Piñas Bamboo Organ in St. Joseph Parish Church, the parish church of Las Piñas City in the Philippines, is a nineteenth-century pipe organ made almost entirely from bamboo. The organ is declared a National Cultural Treasure of the country.
Since 1992, Prof. Armando V. Salarza has been the titular organist of the Bamboo Organ.[1] He is also the Artistic Director of the International Bamboo Organ Festival, the longest-running international music festival held in the Philippines.[2]
The church and the surrounding buildings were restored to their 19th-century state by Architects Francisco Mañosa and partner Ludwig Alvarez in time for the return of the church organ after its restoration in Germany in 1975. The site is a popular excursion location for Filipinos and foreign visitors alike.[3]
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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.[4]
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. 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.[5]
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.
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The Bamboo organ Foundation, Inc., is a non-stock, non-profit organization founded to preserve and maintain the historic Bamboo Organ. It also engages in the spiritual, educational and social enrichment of the people of Las Pinas. The foundation also organizes the International Bamboo Organ Festival.[3]
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