Humanities Diliman (July-December 2019) 16:2, 75-113

International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial

Music in Oslob, Cebu
Patricia Marion Lopez Abrera
University of the Philippines Diliman

ABSTRACT
The paper presents initial findings from a documentation of a music
collection found in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines. The research reveals that
the music used in the parish was wide and diverse, consisting of works
from Europe, the U.S., and the Philippines. There also existed in Oslob a
practice of adding orchestral parts to compositions originally written for
voice and piano or organ. This practice, if read as an indication of a local
musical sensibility, may have been an inadvertent way of circumventing
reforms on Catholic liturgical music in the 20thcentury.

Keywords: Church musicians, parochial music, Oslob, Cebu, music history

INTRODUCTION
Writings on music in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period have
provided a fascinating but gap-filled and uneven history, largely due to the loss
and fragmentation of records and artifacts related to music and musicians in the
country, and to the ephemeral nature of music and performance. Apart from the
difficulty of locating source materials, most documents that have been found were
written from a colonial lens or were produced for colonial purposes, leaving much
of the colonized’s point of view to the scholar’s imagination.

Researches from postcolonial perspectives have sought to address this imbalance.

1
David Irving uses the frame of “colonial counterpoint,” taking off from Edward
Said’s “contrapuntal” reading of Orientalist texts, in an attempt to “privilege and
recover indigenous voices through subversive and contrapuntal readings of rare
th
archival materials” (8). Other recent published studies on music from 19 century
Philippines have brought to attention new materials that reveal the significant role
of Filipino musicians in Hispanized communities in the Philippines, their adoption
and mastery of the language of European musical forms, and the ways by which they
2
could have negotiated the colonial system and asserted their own sensibilities.

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

In spite of the exciting developments in music history brought about by the finding
of fresh materials and the opening up of new areas of inquiry, there continue to
be large gaps in the information available. In the area of Catholic church music in
colonial Philippines, only few studies contain analyses of actual music manuscripts
that were used and/or composed by Filipino church musicians, many of whom
remain unknown, despite their important role in the musical life of communities
across the country.

It is within this context that this research finds its significance, with the aim of
presenting materials on parish music spanning a timeframe that falls within what
David Kendall refers to as an “intracolonial period” or a “stage within the various
formal colonial eras in the Philippines (as opposed to precolonial, and postcolonial
or independence periods).” (83) The data is from a documentation project that
began in 2009 in Oslob, a municipality on the southeastern tip of Cebu island.

Through relatives and family friends, I was introduced to Fermina Luna, a kind lady
in her 80s who in her younger years was a member of the choir at the Our Lady of
Immaculate Conception Church (see Figures 2 and 11). Initially, I was just hoping
to get oral accounts about the town’s former musicians, but Fermina showed me a
heap of old manuscripts that she had kept in a corner of her home. The music, which
had not been used in decades, belonged to her late husband Bernardo Luna, the
parish organist from the 1950s to 1980s.

The project involved sorting and documenting the disorganized but relatively well-
preserved music sheets. At the beginning, the process was slow and inefficient, as
it was done in batches. In 2015, I had the chance to make a more comprehensive
listing of the works and a partial photo-documentation after Dane Luna, the
grandson of Bernardo, agreed to let me bring the bulk to my office in Diliman,
Quezon City. Tragically, on April 1, 2016, a fire destroyed the Faculty Center in
U.P. Diliman. Numerous valuable historical artifacts, documents, books, art works,
and research materials were lost on that day. A month later, some of the Oslob
manuscripts were found under a pile of ash in what used to be my office. Most
of the recovered works were partially to severely damaged, while others were in
3
relatively good condition.

The documentation process began with basic questions in order to identify the
musical works (e.g. Was the piece an original or a copy? Was it written for a choir
or for a solo voice? Was the work purely instrumental? Was the work a score or a
part?), determining their use or function (e.g. Was the piece used for the mass or
for a devotional ritual? Was it used for entertainment?), and verifying their origins

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 P.M.L. Abrera

(e.g. Who was the composer? When was it written? If copied, who copied it? When
and where was it copied?). Some manuscripts were easier to sort as the copyist
signed his/her name, wrote down the complete title of the work, its composer, and
the date and place when it was copied. Other pieces only had a title or did not
contain the copyist’s signature or date, making them harder or impossible to classify.
After sorting, the information was organized into a list that included the titles of
the works, names of composers, names of the arrangers, dates, places, formats, brief
physical descriptions of the works, and others.

The process of sorting and listing the works made me keenly aware of the limits and
issues of documentation but it also allowed for a collective view of the materials
and the various markings on them (such as erasures, edits, signatures, stamps,
dates, and others). Apart from being notations of musical works, the manuscripts
are also a collection of the physical traces left by the musicians who had used them
regularly in rehearsals, masses, and other occasions over several decades. Taken
together, these traces impart details of the performance practices of the time and
provide clues about the personalities, habits, and preferences of the individuals
who left them.

To situate the Oslob music within a broader perspective, the paper looked to the
only previous study on a music collection of a similar nature by music historian
William John Summers. The paper, “Rediscovering the Hidden Muses of Bohol:
Filipino Music Maestri from Corella Church, Bohol,” detailed the contents of a
collection of at least 340 individual works and illustrated the richness and diversity
th th
of parochial music in a small town in Bohol from the late 19 to 20 century. At the
time of the paper’s writing, there had been no other similar scholarly work of any
kind in the Philippines (Summers 7).

Given the limited material on parish music in the Philippines, this paper owes much
to the work of Summers on Corella, which has provided a background from which
the Oslob collection could be viewed. Moreover, the parishes of Corella and Oslob
have common features, which could account for some similarities in the collections.
Corella Church and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Oslob were both
established as parishes in the 19th century. Corella, located on the outskirts of
Tagbilaran, was an asistencia (dependent neighborhood church) of the Baclayon
parish before it was founded as a parish in 1884 (Summers 14). Oslob, on the other
hand, used to be one of the visitas of the neighboring town of Boljo on before
its establishment as a parish in 1848. Both parishes were under the care of the
Augustinian order. A map of Bohol and Cebu can be found in Figure 1.

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

Figure 1. A map of Cebu and Bohol from Google Maps.

The paper begins with an overview of the Oslob collection to provide a general
sense of the size and diversity of its content. Data on Oslob’s known church organists,
band-leaders, and musicians are given in order to make sense of how the collection
was formed and to contextualize the different names, dates, and places written
on many of the manuscripts and printed music sheets. A preliminary listing of the
identified composers is also supplied to give an idea of the range of music sources
in the collection. The second part of the paper discusses some observations on the
sacred repertoire of Oslob, taking off from some of Summers’ findings on the sacred
music in the Corella collection. I hope to highlight here how church musicians in
Oslob complied with the changes in the policies on liturgical ritual and music of
the Catholic Church while adhering to a possibly established local practice.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

Figure 2. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Poblacion, Oslob.

THE OSLOB COLLECTION

Both collections of Corella and Oslob are remarkable in terms of size and diversity
in content, dispelling any notions that the music performed in small towns was
“parochial” in the sense of being narrow or limited in scope. In fact, as Summers
observes of the Corella collection, the repertoires collected by church musicians and
band masters reflected international trends in music making in Hispano-Filipino
Catholic communities (Summers 26). Published music, often but not exclusively
imported from Europe or the U.S., was not restricted to the more prosperous urban
centers, but also found its way to small towns, usually as hand-copied versions,
4
which were then used for various religious and entertainment purposes.

The Oslob collection is comprised of at least 479 compositions, making it larger

5
than the Corella set. There were at least 62masses and about 244 various sacred
6
works used as part of the mass or for devotional rituals. Out of the 244, at least
7
149 have texts in honor of the Virgin Mary. Most of the sacred music was composed
for a choir, usually of two or three voice parts with organ accompaniment, or for
choir accompanied by orchestra or wind ensemble. There are several compositions
arranged only for voice, or for both voice and keyboard. At least 173 works were
8
entertainment pieces in the form of marches, dances, balitaws , foxtrots and other
9
popular songs. Several of these were composed for band or small orchestra, for
keyboard, or for keyboard and voice.

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

10
The earliest dated manuscript, [A]Libera[á] 3 voices by M. Abadia , was written on
11
January 10, 1909 (see Figure 3). The latest signed copy is Commune Confesorisnon
12
Pontificis (Common of Confessors), notated by Bernardo Luna on March 13, 1987
in Oslob. Most of the compositions were written from the 19th to late 20th century
but a few go back to as early as the 16th century. As examples, one of the earliest
datable works is O Bone Jesu (Oh Good Jesus) by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina,
13
and a mass by Rodolfo Villanueva, published in 1979, is one of the latest.

Figure 3. A Libera a 3 voces signed by M. Abadia on January 18, 1909. P.M.L. Abrera

Based on the signatures and initials found on the manuscripts, there were at
14
least 23 individuals who penned the music, a number of whom were the parish’s
15
organists or band masters. Through oral accounts, some of the names have been
16
identified. Unfortunately, records to determine which individuals were officially
employed and the exact dates of their tenure are not available, although the dates
17
and places of the signed manuscripts provide some clues.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

Some manuscripts were stamped with names of individuals to designate ownership.

The names include Juan Aviles, Florencio Luna, Silvino Luna, and Magdaleno Trapila.
One mass has the stamp of Matias Gonzalez, a diocesan priest who is said to have
18
taken over the parish after the Philippine Revolution in 1898.

Fifteen manuscripts with dates ranging from 1925 to 1966 were stamped with the
label “Ministerio Parroquial de Oslob” (Parochial Ministry of Oslob) (see Figure 4).
These copies, mostly Latin masses and devotional hymns set for a choir and organ,
wind ensemble or small orchestra, could have been commissioned or donated to
the parish and were considered official church property.

Figure 4. A mass of J. Cabas Galvan with the stamp “Ministerio Parroquial de Oslob”
on the upper right.

The stamps also possibly indicate the sources of the copies. There is an English
mass from Capitol Parish in Cebu City and a collection of sacred songs from St.
Ignatius Parish in Kawit, Medellin, Cebu. Eleven copies, all undated, the majority of
19
which are secular works, have the “Hijos del Pueblo Band” stamp.

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

MUSICIANS IN OSLOB
The following section presents some information on Oslob’s known organists and
band leaders in the 20th century. This data, mostly gleaned from oral accounts and
markings on the manuscripts and printed music, while admittedly uneven and gap-
filled, outlines a picture of Oslob’s music-making practices from the early to late
20th century, offers a glimpse of how the collection was formed during this period.

As seen in Table 1, there were at least six known organists in Oslob, but only two
(Luna and Aviles) contributed significantly to the collection.This could be because
the other organists (Durens, Castroverde, and Allego) did not serve very long in
Oslob as organists. It is also possible that the music copies of Durens, Castroverde
and Allego were kept elsewhere.

Table 1. Organists

Name Date of tenure Number of manuscripts

Juan R. Aviles Circa 1940 to 1947 Pennedat least 116 works20 from
1930 to 1947. The works from 1930
to 1940 were copied in Cebu City.
Juanito Luna Durens Unknown None
Aquilino Castroverde 1950s Penned a manuscript dated 1957.
Vicente Allego 1950s A manuscript signed “Vex Allego” is
dated 1958.
Bernardo Luna (b. 1926) 1950s to 1988 Penned at least 130 works. Dated
manuscripts were copied from 1952
to 1987.

Basilio Catarata 2000 to present None

The latest dated manuscripts in the collection were penned by Bernardo Luna (a photo of
21
him is in Figure 5). His earliest dated document is from 1952 and the latest is from 1987.At
22
least 130 works are by his hand. Bernardo, born in 1926, became a schoolteacher in Oslob
after obtaining a degree from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City in 1950 and served
as the parish organist and town maestro. Bernardo was proficient in several instruments.
He conducted the choir and taught music to young boys. He also copied parts for the choir,
arranged some works, and added some texts in Cebuano to some pieces.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

Figure 5. “The choir members during the time of Rev. P. Benedicto Zafra. This photo was taken
at the ‘Koro’ and in the background can be seen the old organ.” The man sitting at the organ
is Bernardo Luna or “Bado,” as he was called by friends. Written on the side of the organ is
“Oslob Church Choir 1954.” (Scanned from Memorare I)

The main organist before Lunawas Vicente Allego. Allego’s exact date of tenure
is undetermined. A mass in the collection has the name “Vex Allego” written on it
and is dated 1958. Prior to Allego, the organist and choir conductor was Aquilino
23
Castroverde, seen in Figure 6, who later moved to Dumanjug when the parish
24
priest of Oslob was assigned there. There is one signed manuscript by Castroverde
from 1957. There are also no records to show Castroverde’s years of tenure and the
25
date of his transfer, but he appears in a photograph as the conductor of the tiple
choir dated 1957 to 1958. Castroverde was preceded by Juanito Luna Durens, who
has no signed copies in the collection. Durens’ exact date of tenure is also not
26
known.

Figure 6. The man

in a barong is
Aquilino Castroverde,
also referred to by
Wilfredo Luna as “Noy
Kiling”. The choirboy
in front of him is
Wilfredo Luna. (This
photo was part of an
exhibit in ruins of the
old Cuartel of Oslob.)

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

27
Juan R. Aviles was the organist before Durens. There are at least 116 works penned
by him, with dates ranging from 1930 to 1947. The copies from 1930 to 1940 were
all made in Cebu City. These copies could have been made when Aviles was organist
28
at the Sto. Niño de Cebu Church (now Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu)
29
and member of the Hijos del Pueblo band in the city. He is said to have returned
to Oslob when the Second World War broke out and then served as the parish
30 31
organist. He married Jesusa Luna, Bernardo’s elder sister, sometime in the 1940s.
32
Aviles also composed 3 Cebuano songs in the form of balitaws.

As seen in Table 2, there were at least five known band masters in Oslob, but in
the collection, there are fewer manuscripts that they penned. It is likely that there
had been more music manuscripts, but were kept elsewhere or were burned in the
church or convento (convent). Until more music is found, it is difficult to determine
the extent of the band leaders’ role in the shaping of Oslob’s repertoire.

Table 2. Band Masters

Name Date of tenure Number of manuscripts

Filomeno Cuico ? to 1940s None

Silvino Luna Unknown Penned at least 8 works, all

undated. At least 1 work was
copied in Oslob.

Magdaleno Trapila Unknown Penned at least 16 works. The

dates range from 1947 to 1956.
Some were copied in Oslob.

Pedro Ondiano Luna 1970s to ? None

Wilfredo Sabandal Luna ? to 2012 None

(1946-2012)

A reference to Oslob’s parish band in “Kasaysayan sa Lungsod sa Oslob ug Simbahan

Katoliko Romano”(History of the Town of Oslob and the Roman Catholic Church)
published inthe town’s 150th fiesta souvenir programme reveals that Oslob had
a flourishing band tradition in the early 20th century. According to the account,
Augustinian Juan Mendiluce, who was assigned as parish priest of the town in 1924,
was particularly supportive of the parish band. Under his term, the band became two
groups (perhaps due to increased membership) and a kiosk was built specifically

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 P.M.L. Abrera

for band rehearsals. Because of this support and the efforts of the church maestro,
the Oslob band became “renowned for its skill and fitness and for playing not
just in the neighboring towns but all over the province of Cebu”(Translated from
“Kasaysayan sa Lungsod sa Oslob ug Simbahan Katoliko Romano”n.p.). A 1930
photo of Mendiluce and the parochial band is seen in Figure 7. The only two other
photos of the Oslob band, taken in 1959 and 1980, are seen in Figures 9 and 10
respectively.

Figure 7. This is a 1930 photograph of the Oslob Parochial Band with parish priest Juan
Mendiluce seated at the center. The bandmaster, perhaps the man wearing a hat to the right
of the parish priest, has not been identified. (Scanned from Memorare I)

The earliest identified band master of Oslob is Filomeno Cuico (see Figure 8). His
exact years of tenure are undetermined and no copies penned by him were found
33
in the collection. According to his daughter, Rosario C. Ynclino (see Figure 11),
Filomeno was originally from CebuCityand came to Oslob to serve as band master
34
alongside the newly assigned Augustinian parish priest at the time. Filomeno
married a local, Catalina Luna, who also belonged to a family of church musicians.
35
He is said to have died suddenly during the Second World War.

Figure 8. An undated photo of

Filomeno Cuico (Photo courtesy
of Rosario Ynclino).

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

Figure 9. The women, men, and children seated in front are believed to be members of the
church choir. This photo was part of an exhibit at the old Cuartel of Oslob.

Figure 10. “Members of the Oslob Parochial Band during the time of Rev. P. Constantino
Batoctoy.” This was taken in 1980. (Scanned from Memorare I)

Figure 11. From the left, Rosario

Ynclino, Wilfredo Sabandal Luna,
Piedad Gonzalez, and Fermina
Luna. The three women used to
be choir members. This photo
was taken by the author in 2010.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

Silvino Luna is the next identified band master of Oslob. His dates of tenure are
also undetermined. There are at least 8 works penned by him in the collection, all
undated. He is said to have studied at the Sto. Niño Basilica in Cebu City and was
also a member of the Hijos Band. Magdaleno Trapila became band master after
Silvino Luna passed away. There are at least 16 works by him in the collection. The
36
earliest was dated 1947, the latest 1956. It is possible that he is included in the
photo of the Oslob processional band seen in Figure 7.

Pedro Ondiano Luna, father of Wilfredo Sabandal Luna, became band master after
37
retiring from his post at the Philippine Army Band in the 1970s. He penned at least
2 works in the collection, both undated. He also studied at the Sto. Nino Basilica and
was member of the Hijos Band in Cebu City. He joined the Philippine Harmony Band
38
before becoming a member of the Philippine ArmyBand.

The last band master of Oslob was Pedro Luna’s son, Wilfredo, who lived from 1946
to 2012(see Figure 11). Wilfredo has no manuscripts in the collection. He served
as organist in San Nicolas Parish in Cebu City. After his father passed away, he
39
became active as band master in Oslob. At that point, the band tradition in the
40
town had already declined. Wilfredo tried to revive the band by soliciting funds
and sponsorships for new instruments. Before he died in 2012, he had been able to
41
form a band of young musicians from the town.
Table 3. Other Copyists
Name Number of Manuscripts
M. Abadia 42
1, dated 1909
P.C. Davis 2, one dated 1919
F. Cortis43 1, dated 1920 (Seminario de San Carlos, Cebu City)
Florencio Q. Luna 8, earliest 1923, latest 1930
Mariano Luna Cuico 2, dated 1927 and 1971
Silvino Cuerpo Vasion 6, one dated 1927
Sinforoso Q. Cortes 11, one dated 1928
Eleuterio Villamor 2, one dated 1929
J. B. Labiste44 2, dated 1933 (Oslob) and 1938 (Talisay)
Dionisio D. Piano 4, 2 dated 1939
Amancio R. Sabandal 11, earliest 1939, latest 1982
Jesusa L. Aviles 2, one dated 1947
Reverend Francisco Boltaon? 1, dated 1950
Pedro Luna Ortiz 2, undated
Monica Durban 1, undated
Vicente V. Garces 1, undated
Manuel Mascariñas 1, undated

As seen in Table 3, at least sixteen other copyists contributed to the collection. Some
of these copyists may have also been band musicians, organists, or choir members

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

in Oslob. One of the identified copyists is Mariano Cuico, son of bandmaster

Filomeno. He penned 2 works, one from 1927 and another from 1971. Mariano
married a local from San Fernando, and later became the town’s maestro. Another
identified copyist is Amancio R. Sabandal, who penned at least 11 works, dating
from 1939 to 1982. Sabandal was the uncle of Wilfredo Luna, and was the latter’s
first organ teacher. Sabandal worked as organist at the Sto. Rosario Church in Cebu
City. This is evidenced by a work copied in the Sto. Rosario Rectory in Cebu City in
45
1953. Jesusa L. Aviles was the elder sister of Bernardo Luna. She was married to
Juan R. Aviles. After Aviles’ passing, she married Magdaleno Trapila.

Sacred Music Composers

From an initial survey, the Oslob collection (like the Corella collection) shows a
strong leaning towards 19th to early 20th century Spanish sacred music composers.
These compositions could well represent what Kendall refers to as one of two
46
types of Latin liturgical music in the Philippines during the late 19th to early
20th century, which were often “set in three parts, with two tiples (boy sopranos)
mostly in parallel thirds and sixths and a very harmonic bass, accompanied by
organ, though there are also sometimes accompaniments for wind band or mixed
string-wind ensemble.”(84)

Many of the identified composers were organists and conductors of chapel choirs
47
in Spain, bandmasters, or were zarzuela composers. Cosme J. Benito , Remigio
48 49 50 51
Calahorra , Pablo Hernandez , Julian Vilaseca , and Hilarion Eslava (names found
in the Corella collection) are also in the Oslob collection. Nineteen other Spanish
52
composers have been identified for the sacred works. They are Luis Vicente
53 54 55 56
Arche, Antonio Merce y Fondevilla, Candido Candi, J. R. de Prado, Aureliano
57 58 59 60
de Valle, Jose Sancho Marraco, Domingo Mas y Serracant, Juan Cabas Galvan,
61 62 63 64
Roman Jimeno, Valentin Zubiaurre, Alfredo Javaloyes, Julian Calvo, Cristobal
65 66 67 68
Oudrid, Pablo Ronso, Agapito Insausti, Clemente Santamarina, Juan Ignacio
69 70 71
Busca Sagastizabal, Juan Carreras, and Manuel Arostegui. While the majority
of the massesare in Latin, there are also many devotional works with Spanish texts
72
including villancicos and several Marian hymns.

There are also works by non-Spanish, European-born composers such as Lorenzo

73 74 75 76 77
Perosi, Oreste Ravanello, Luigi Bordese, Enrico Piglia, Geremia Piazzano,
78 79 80
Theodore de la Hache, Michael Haller, Edward Julius Biedermann and John
81
Wiegand.

The collection also includes compositions of Manila-based Filipino composers such

82 83 84 85
as Jose Canseco Jr, Francisco Santiago, Jose Estella, and Alfredo Buenaventura.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

86
Music by Brigido Lakandazon, a composer originally from Manila who relocated
to Carcar, Cebu, is also part of the collection. A copy of his Salve Regina is seen in
Figure 12.

Figure 12. Bass part of Salve a 3 voces by B. Lakandazon

87
Composers of sacred music with texts in Cebuano include Rodolfo Villanueva,
88 89 90 91
M. S. Ortega, Camilo A. Rabor, Hilarion B. Tudtud, Sean Lavery, Domingo
92 93 94
Carceller, Jose Maria Alcacer, and C. G. Faelnar. There are also Cebuano hymns
95 96 97
and devotional songs written by Manuel Tan Villareal, G. Villaver, M. Cerin, E.
98 99 100
Tenchavez, Oping Villanueva, and V. Cabanlit.

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC COMPOSERS

The entertainment pieces in the Oslob collection are not as numerous as the sacred
works. They were probably used for festivities in Oslob, the most important of which
would be the feast of town’s patron saint, the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception
on December 8. Some of the marches could have also been played for processions
and funerals.

Part of the collection are a number of European entertainment piece, although

many have no indicated composer. An example of a popular Spanish work is
Moraima Capricho Caracteristico a piano setting composed by Gaspar Espinosa de
los Monteros (1836–1898). This work was published as early as 1882 in Madrid and
101
recorded between 1898 and 1901. There are also popular Italian compositions
such as La Serenata by Gaetano Braga (1829–1907) and Czardas by Vittorio Monti
102
(1868– 1922).

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

Several 20th-century U.S. popular standards were also found in the collection. A
1916 copy of the setting Rockaway Hunt Foxtrot composed by Milton Ager and Pete
Wendling in 1915 could attest to how quickly popular printed music found its way into
the repertoires of musicians in Cebu and Oslob. Likewise, the popular song I’m Always
103
Chasing Rainbows first published in 1917 and composed by Harry Carroll with lyrics
by Joseph McCarthy, is part of the set. Other U.S. American-based composers in the
104 105 106 107
list areJohn Stepan Zamecnik, John Philip Sousa, Frank H. Losey, David Guion,
108 109 110 111
William Huff, George Botsford, John Rosamond Johnson, Alfredo Antonini, and
112
David Rose.
113
Except for Brigido Lakandazon’s Ynchang March, most of the local entertainment
music in the collection consists of popular songs/folk songs with no indicated
composer. The songs with identified composers are “Larawan ni Dodong” (Dodong’s
114
Portrait) by M. Abadia (lyrics by A. Sales) and “Moon over Pasig” by Manuel Tan­
115
Villareal. Guisalikway (see Figure 13) and Gugma ng Mabalhinon, both labeled as
116
“balitaw,” were set to music by Juan Aviles. Sadly, many of the works of this genre
were not photographed and were lost to the fire.

Figure 13. Guisalikway by Juan Aviles

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 P.M.L. Abrera

RESPONSES TO SACRED MUSIC REFORMS IN THE 20TH CENTURY:

THE CECILIAN MOVEMENT AND VATICAN II
In his study of Corella’s sacred music, Summers noted a shift in the repertoire
from the works copied by the older maestro, Hilario Daray (1868–1957) to those
penned by the younger maestro Eulogia Darunday (1902–1987). The works copied
by Daray, Summers observed, showed a strong preference for 19th-century Spanish
composers. During the time of Darunday, however, there was a “marked shift outside
the Spanish orbit,” which Summers believes, signaled the influence of the Cecilian
Movement on the liturgical music in Corella (Summers 22).

The Cecilian Movement wasa campaign for reforms in church music that had
begun in France, Germany, and Italy in the 19th century. The movement called for a
return to the use of Gregorian chant and renaissance-style polyphonic works in the
liturgical rites of the Church as a reaction to the elaborate and lengthy musical style
that had been prevalent in churches around the world. The fact that Darunday had
copied works by 16th-century Renaissance composers such as Giovanni Pierluigi
da Palestrina and Jacob Arcadelt, as well as composers from German-speaking
countries, Karl Allmendinger and Michael Haller (whose music were central to the
Cecilian movement), reveals this new direction in liturgical music. (Summers 22)

Another possible sign of Cecilian influence are the markings placed by Darunday
on a mass copied by Daray. Summers believes the markings were placed in order to
omit repetitions of certain texts during performance, thus shortening some works.
This was in line with a:

key Caecilian movement dictum that mandates the avoidance of text

repetition in sacred music, an earlier practice that was seen (only after
the fact) to place inordinate musical focus upon certain words at the
expense of the meaning in general.(49)

Summers interprets this practice as a way of incorporating some of the Cecilian

reforms, but without completely letting go of an older tradition.

It is believed that these same Cecilian reforms influenced Oslob’s repertoire.This

can be evidenced for example by the presence of the works of Giovanni Pierluigida
Palestrina, Jacques Arcadelt,Tomas Luis de Victoria, and Michael Haller, composers
who were held up as historical models of church music excellence and believed to
espouse Cecilian ideals of sacred music.

Also found in the collection were two works by Lorenzo Perosi, an alumnus of the
117
Regensburg church music school and the former director of the Sistine Chapel

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

choir in Rome during the term of Pope Pius X. In 1903, Pius X promulgated a
Motu Proprio that articulated the principles of liturgical ritual in the Church and
stressed the importance of maintaining the rite’s sanctity and solemnity. The
Motu Proprio called specifically for the restoration of Gregorian Chant, seen as the
model of sacred music, and praised the qualities of classic polyphonic music (as
embodied by Palestrina’s works). It also advised the use of the organ to accompany
vocal music and prohibited bands in church, unless given special permission by
the bishop (“Motu Proprio of St. Pius X on Sacred Music,” americancatholicpress.org).
Perosi’s two masses, the Missa Te Deum Laudamus, written for two voices and organ,
and Messa a 3 voci maschili, written for three male voices and organ, display a clear
118
alignment with the new standards. The two masses have a quiet and subdued
aesthetic, achieved through the use of Gregorian-style melodic lines (see Figure 14).

Figure 14. Missa Te Deum Laudamus by Lorenzo Perosi (music downloaded from Petrucci
Music Library, http://imslp.org)

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 P.M.L. Abrera

The Misa Coral de Pio X by Julian Vilaseca, published seven years after the Motu Proprio came
119
out, could also be seen as exemplifying the principles mentioned above. This mass, written
for four voices and organ, is not as austere as Perosi’s works. However, the work shows a
marked avoidance of elaborate melodic lines and melismatic passages to ensure the clarity
of words (see Figure 15 for example). This piece must have been a staple in Oslob because
there are several copies of this work in the collection penned from as early as 1919 by P.C.
Davis and extending to as late as 1980. 120

Figure 15. Gloria of Misa Coral de Pio X by Julian Vilaseca (music downloaded from Biblioteca
Digital Hisoanica http://bdh.bne.es)

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

The Missa Salve Regina, written for two voices and organ by Rev. Hubert Gruender
S.J., also has the quiet and restrained quality seen in Perosi’s works through the
121
use of Gregorian-style melodic lines. The work also has a polyphonic texture
reminiscent of the works by Renaissance composers of sacred music mentioned
earlier (see Figure 16). Gruender was a composer of sacred music and professor at
Saint Louis University in Missouri. He was also a contributor to The Caecilia, a monthly
magazine published by Mclaughlin and Reilly Co. dedicated to the propagation of
122
Cecilian reforms in music in the U.S.

Figure 16. Kyrie of Missa “Salve Regina” by Hubert Gruender (music downloaded from Petrucci
Music Library. http://imslp.org)

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 P.M.L. Abrera

The fact that these works were used in Oslob show the impact of Cecilian reforms
on the sacred music repertoire of the parish. Interestingly however, the masses
of Perosi, Vilaseca, and Gruender, consistently written for voice and organ, have
additional parts for orchestral accompaniment, all arranged by local musicians.
Oslob’s copy of Perosi’s 1898 Messa a 3 voci masculini, originally for a male chorus
123
and organ, was arranged for orchestra by Brigido Lakandazon. The Vilaseca Misa
Coral de Pio X has settings for cornet, flute, double bass, clarinet and first violin
124
copied/arranged by Magdaleno Trapila. Gruender’s mass has parts for orchestral
125
accompaniment, also copied/arranged by MagdalenoTrapila.

This observed habit of adding orchestral parts to existing works does not seem
to have been limited to the Cecilian compositions. As an example, orchestral
accompaniment was added to a mass originally written for 3 voices and organ by
126
Roman Jimeno. The practice was not limited to sacred music either. The piano
piece Moraima Capricho Caracteristico by Gaspar Espinosa has additional parts
fortrombone, bass, flute, clarinet, saxhorn, cornet, horn, baritone, flugelhorn, and
127
requinto.

These examples could suggest that the practice of adding orchestral accompaniment
was a common practice in Oslob (and perhaps throughout Southern Cebu) even
before Cecilian reforms began to influence the repertoire. However, the extension
of this practice towards the new (Cecilian-influenced) liturgical music would have
been a step in the opposite direction of the movement, which rejected ornate
musical styles of the 19th century and endeavored to restore sacred music to the
aesthetic purity of the 16th century. Thus, this could be another example of what
Summers observed in Corella, a means of complying with the new rules, but not
totally abandoning existing habits.

Towards the latter half of the 20th century, we see sacred music set to the vernacular
as a product of the Second Vatican Council reforms in the 1960s. In line with the
resolutions of the Church after the Council, several changes were implemented
in the celebration of the liturgy, including promoting the use of the vernacular
language for the texts of the Ordinary of the mass. This new policy reflected the
Church’s belief that the liturgy should be better understood by the laity to make it
more meaningful and relevant. In the Oslob collection, there are publications of
Cebuano masses commissioned by the archdiocese from the 1960s onwards.

Bernardo Luna wrote at least four contrafacta (masses where the original Latin text
is substituted with Cebuano). An example of this can be seen in Figures 17 and
128 129 130
18. The masses, labeled “Binisaya,” are by P. Bonafonte, J. Garcera, F. Tavoni,
131
and John Wiegand. Published settings by Rodolfo Villanueva, Sean Lavery,

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

132
Hilarion Tudtud, and Jose Maria Alcacer are also in the collection. There is also
one printed mass in Lineyte-Samarnon by Agustin El O’Mora, and one in English by
133
F. Grol.

Figure 17. Misa a 2 coros by Jose Garcera.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

Figure 18: “Binisaya” Misa a 2 coros ni Jose Garcera

It is significant that alongside this ‘new’ repertoire, Luna continued copying Latin
masses from 1964 to 1980, suggesting that the ‘old’ music continued to be performed
134
in Oslob despite the liturgical reforms set in place by the archdiocese. That Luna
copied or arranged instrumental parts also some of the performances included a
wind ensemble or orchestral accompaniment. To provide an example, a mass by J.
Cabas Galvan penned by Luna in 1976 has parts for trumpet, double bass, violin,
clarinet, baritone, and horn, apart from the soprano and alto voices. It is also worth
noting that in 1971, Luna copied/arranged parts for clarinet, bass, violin, trumpet,
trombone, and horn, to accompany Rodolfo Villanueva’s Mass in the Popular Style,
135
thus continuing the tradition of adding orchestral accompaniment. The trumpet
section written by Bernardo Luna is seen in Figure 19.

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

Figure 19. Trumpet part of Mass in the Popular Style by Rodolfo Villanueva, signed by
Bernardo Luna in 1971 (photo by author)

CONCLUSION
This paper has sought to provide information on parochial music in the 20th century
through the documentation of a music collection from Oslob, Cebu. The initial
research reveals that town musicians in Oslob used a relatively wide and diverse
musical repertoire comprised of works by Spanish, European-born, U.S. American,
and Filipino composers.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

Taking off from Summers’ study of Corella’s music, two factors were recognized in
the shifts in liturgical music in Oslob—the Cecilian Movement in the early 20th
century, and the sacred music reforms after the Second Vatican Council in the mid­
20th century. The inclusion of works by composers believed to exemplify Cecilian
ideals in the Oslob collection is read as a manifestation of this influence. In addition,
copies of liturgical music set to the vernacular reveal the reforms of Vatican II.

Several examples in Oslob suggest that musicians in the area had a practice of
adding orchestral parts to works (both for entertainment and religious purposes)
that were originally written for voice and piano or organ. This practice would persist
despite the efforts of the Cecilian Movement to move away from the lengthy and
elaborate musical styles of sacred music in the 19th century and to encourage
the use of Gregorian chant and Renaissance-style polyphonic music in liturgical
rituals. Adding orchestral parts would also continue after the implementation of
the reforms under Vatican II, as seen in Bernardo Luna’s arrangement of parts for a
Cebuano mass by Rodolfo Villanueva in 1971. Moreso, even though the Church had
mandated the use of the vernacular in its liturgical rituals, Latin masses continued
136
to be performed in Oslob until at least 1980.

The music collection thus paints Oslob in the early to late 20th century as a town
with a vibrant music-making tradition made possible by the presence of many
skilled band and church musicians. The music used for religious rituals show that
church musicians adhered to the shifting policies and standards that governed
liturgical ritual in the 20th century. At the same time, musicians like Bernardo
Luna responded to the various changes imposed by the Church while keeping alive
established local practices. It is therefore possible to see in the manuscripts the
musicians left behind signs of worldwide trends in Catholic church music, but also
traces of local musical sensibilities.

This paper puts forward these findings knowing well that the materials could be
interpreted from different perspectives and that new materials could come up in
the future that could easily challenge any conclusions made. Despite this, the

research hopes to have added to the body of writings on “rediscovered” music

collections in the country, bringing to light potential areas of study surrounding
musical practices in small towns. A more in-depth analysis of the music could be
done to explore local sensibilities both in sacred and entertainment music. Further
research may also reveal how common the practice of adding orchestral parts was
across Cebu or the Visayas region and why musicians did it. Lastly, more information
could be found on the local composers identified in the collection.

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International Repertoire and Local Practice: Parochial Music in Oslob, Cebu

As a final note, it must be stressed that without the documentation and preservation
of music manuscripts, similar periods of music history may never be fully studied.
The fires that destroyed the Oslob church and convent and the Faculty Center
in U.P. Diliman are painful reminders of the precariousness of valuable historical
documents in the Philippines. There is an urgent need to find more music collections
in the country and to actively work towards preserving them for future research.

ENDNOTES
1
See Irving’s introduction to Colonial Counterpoint for a more comprehensive
discussion of this concept.
2
See for example Mirano et al.’s The Life and Works of Marcelo Adonay (2009),
th
Chua’s Hispanic Sacred Music in 19 Century Bohol, Philippines (2010), and the
various essays in the very recently published Saysay Himig: A Sourcebook on
Philippine Music History:1880­1941 (2018).
3
From the 479 number of compositions originally listed, at least 204 works have
been found. The loss of several works that were not photographed made it
impossible to further discuss some of the contents of the collection beyond the
data I have from my notes.
4
A catalogue of published music for sale in Manila in 1887 provides an idea of
the range of music that was widely used at the time. Some of the composers
listed in the catalogue were also found in the Corella and Oslob collections.
(See La Lira: Catalogo de Las Obras Musicales que se expendenen la Casa Editorial
de Musica de A.S. Del Valle. Manila, 1887.
5
These are movements set to the ordinary of the mass. There were at least 41
in Latin, 19 in Cebuano, 1 in Lineyte-Samarnon, and 1 in English. After the fire,
26 Latin masses, 12 Cebuano masses, 1 Lineyte-Samarnon, and 1 English mass
were recovered.
6
At least 113 works were recovered after the fire.
7
This could reflect the town’s strong devotion to Mary, as discussed in another
essay (see Lopez 2016).
8
A balitaw is a type of folk song form known to be popular in Cebu. This word
however, also refers to an “extemporaneous poetic debate between man and
woman that is sung and danced simultaneously” (See Kintanar-Alburo, “Cebuano
Literature in the Philippines,” ncca.gov.ph).

100
 P.M.L. Abrera

9
48 works were recovered after the fire.
10
The first name of this composer has yet to be identified.
11
Another work, Gozo a San. Roque is written on the opposite page.
12
The title on the manuscript was spelled as “Commune Confessores Pontifices.”
The vowels E and I are often interchanged among Cebuano speakers.
13
Palestrina was an Italian, Renaissance composer of sacred music. Villanueva is a
Filipino priest who was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Cebu to compose
masses in Cebuano.
14
For this paper, “penned” refers to having the created a manuscript by either
copying existing musical compositions, writing new arrangements, or composing
new works.
15
Some works also bear the names of choir members or band members. A copyist
usually signed his initials or name at the end of the piece, sometimes with the
date and the place, providing information as to when the work was used.
16
The information on Bernardo Luna and other musicians are from oral accounts
of Fermina Luna, Salud Luna (Bernardo’s niece and former church choir singer),
Wilfredo Sabandal Luna (Salud’s husband and the last known band master of
Oslob), and my own grandmother, Rosario Ynclino (former church choir singer).
17
Unlike in Corella, the line of church maestri in Oslob cannot be clearly
established because of the loss of the parish’s records. The Oslob church and its
convento burned in 2008. There was another fire that destroyed the church in 1955.

18
Gonzalez served as parish priest until 1918, when the Spanish Augustinian
priests once again took over Oslob. The manuscript was signed by S.C.V., which
could refer to Silvino Cuerpo Vasion. We can surmise that the work was first
copied or first used in Oslob not later than 1918.
19
This could be translated to “Sons of the People.”
20
A work here refers to one musical composition, which could comprise several
parts for voice or instrument (each a separate manuscript). Some works have
multiple copies of the same part. The manuscripts that have Aviles Bros. or
Aviles and Aviles, or Luna and Aviles on them were not counted.
21
It was an Ave Maria by John Wiegand. The copies did not survive the fire.
22
One work could have multiple copies as they were meant to be used by the
choir or the instrumentalists.
23
Another town in Southern Cebu.

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24
There seems to have been a practice of a parish priest ‘taking’ an organist with
him to his new assigned parish, but I’m not sure how common this was all over
Cebu.
25
“Tiple” is the Spanish term for the soprano voice which was usually sung by
young boys trained to sing for the liturgical rituals of the Catholic Church. The
word is also used to refer to a choir boy.
26
The fact that there are so few manuscripts by Allego and Castroverde, and none
by Durens could mean that they kept their own copies or they did not sign their
works. It could also be that their copies were burned or lost.
27
This number does not account for works that were stamped with his name. Only
the works with his signature were counted.
28
The Basilica de Sto. Niño de Cebu was the base of the Augustinian order in
Cebu. It was established in 1565.
29
There are no records available at the Basilica to verify this point. If there were
documents kept at the Basilica, they were either lost or brought to Spain. There
are several manuscripts however that were stamped with “Hijos del Pueblo
Band”.
30
The exact date of his return is unverified.
31
The familial relationship between Bernardo Luna and Juan Aviles could explain
why Aviles’ copies were in Luna’s possession. There are two manuscripts in
the collection with the name Jesusa L. Aviles, one dated 1947. It is not certain
whether she penned the works or if they were her copies as a member of the
choir. Aviles passed away around that period and Jesusa remarried shortly after.
Her first child with her second husband was born in 1949.
32
Sadly, these works were burned.
33
The copies may have been lost or burned.
34
The exact year is not known; neither is the name of the priest. We can surmise
that Filomeno was in Oslob prior to 1913, the year Rosario was born.
35
Rosario recalls that during the war, the locals went to hide in the mountains of
Oslob, fearful of the Japanese soldiers who came to the town. It was around this
period when Filomeno passed away.
36
Trapila was Jesusa Luna’s second husband. This could also explain why his
copies were with Bernardo.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

37
In the interview with Wilfredo Luna, he said his father became a member of
the Philippine Constabulary Band. However, this band was renamed as the
Philippine Army Band after the Second World War.
38
These details and exact dates of tenure have yet to be verified.
39
The exact dates are undetermined.
40
The parish could not afford to purchase new instruments. There was also a
decrease in the number of young people who had musical training. After the
older musicians passed away, there was no younger generation to continue the
tradition.
41
It is not determined if the group has a new leader.
42
M. Abadia also appears as a music composer of hymns,A Libera a 3 Voces, Santo
Dios, Letania a duo y solo, and Gozos a San Jose. It could be that the 1909 work is
his original.
43
This could be a Visayan spelling for Cortes. Another manuscript signed F.L.C.
could be by the same person.
44
A manuscript signed J.L. could also be by the same person.
45
Sabandal made manuscripts in Toledo (1940) and in Sibonga, Cebu (undated).
46
The other type is estilo parochial (Kendall 84).
47
Cosme Jose de Benito (1829-1888) was a composer, cellist, and organist from
Madrid. He served as Maestro del Real Capilla del Escorialfrom 1859-1885 (See
“Benito (y Barbero), Cosme Damian Jose de,” www.oxfordmusiconline.com).
48
Remigio Calahorra, born in Villafranca, Spain, became the maestro de capilla
at the Manila Cathedral. He was also listed by Bañas, along with his brother
Apolinar, as one of the professors of the Colegio de NinosTiples de la Santa
IglesiaCatedral of the Manila Cathedral (Bañas 112).
49
Pablo Hernandez y Salces (1834–1910) was an organist and composer from
Zaragoza. He was a student of Hilarion Eslava at the Conservatory in Madrid
(Summers 38).
50
Julian Vilaseca (1853–1929) was, for a time, a professor of piano and solfeo at
the Colegio de San Ignacio de Sarria (See Summers 65).
51
Miguel Hilarion Eslava (1807–1878) was a composer, organist, and music
teacher born in Burlada, Navarre, Spain. He was maestro of the Capilla Real de
Madrid and was a professor of composition and later director of the Madrid
Conservatory. (See “Hilarion Eslava”, www.biografiasyvidas.com) His Metodo de
Solfeo was a popular text for teaching music in the Philippines.

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52
Most information on the composers was from internet sources.
53
A printed copy of the violin section of a mass by Luis V. Arche was part of the
Oslob collection. The composer could be Luis Vicente Arche (1815–1879)
whohas published works in the Biblioteca Digital Hispanica. This composer and
his son may have been based in Manila for a time. Bañas mentioned Spanish
composers Arche and son as having published music in the magazine La Lira
Filipina in 1877 (131). Bañas also listed Luis Vicente Arche as one of the early
professors of the Colegio de Ninos Tiples de la Santa Iglesia Catedral of the
Manila Cathedral (112).
54
Antonio Merce y Fondevila (ca. 1810–1876), former maestro de musica del Real
Seminario de Escuelas Pias de S. Antonio de Madrid, is listed in the Biblioteca
Nacional de Espana. A copy of his mass Misa de Sacramento a cuatrovoces
con accompanamiento de organoobligado, obra 36, was available in the Oslob
collection. A digital copy of the same mass is available online from Biblioteca
Digital Hispanica. The work was published in Madrid in 1862.
55
Several works of Candido Candi (1844–1911) are listed in the European Library
catalogue. Two hymns by him, Venid a Jesus a 2 voces and Jesus que Desconsuelo
are in the Oslob collection.
56
J.R. de Prado could be Jose Ramon de Prado, who composed Una aurora de Belen:
villancico al Nacimiento de Jesús, a 3 o 4 voces con acompto obligado de armonium
o piano y oboe a voluntad letra y música, published in 1900, available at Biblioteca
Digital Hispanica. A Salve Regina by this composer is in the collection.
57
Published works by Aureliano de Valle (1846-1918) are listed in the Biblioteca
Digital Hispanica. His copy of a Salve Regina was part of the collection.
58
Some works of Jose Sancho Marraco (1879–1960) are available in the Biblioteca
Digital Hispanica. Hiscopy of a Salve Regina was in the Oslob collection.
59
Published works by Domingo Mas y Serracant (1870–1944), former Maestro de
Capilla de San Pedro are available in the Biblioteca Digital Hispanica. A work
titled Misa en Bb is in the Oslob collection.
60
Pubished works by Jose Cabas Galvan (1853–1909) are available in the
Biblioteca Digital Hispanica. A mass by him is in the Oslob collection.
61
Roman Jimeno (1799–1874) was the former organist of La Real Iglesia de
San Isidro de Madrid and professor of the conservatory. His Misa al Santissimo
Sacramento a 3 voces y organo is found in the Oslob collection. An 1876
published version of this work is available at the Biblioteca Digital Hispanica.
The Oslob version included parts for orchestral accompaniment, but the copies
were burned.

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 P.M.L. Abrera

62
Works of Valentin Zubiaurre (1837–1914) are available in the Biblioteca Digital
Hispanica. A Salve Regina by him was part of the collection.
63
Alfredo Javaloyes (1865–1944) was a composer and bandleader from Alicante
(“Alfredo Javaloyes Lopez” Patrimonio Musical website). Some of his works
are listed in the Biblioteca Digital Hispanica. A Letania set to 2 voices by A.
Javaloyeswas in the Oslob collection.
64
Julian Calvo (1835–1898) has published works listed in the Biblioteca Digital
Hispanica. A Letania by him is in the collection.
65
Cristobal Oudrid (1825–1877) was a conductor and composer. He composed
several works for the zarzuela. A work titled Salve a Estrella de los Mares set to 4
voices was in the collection.
66
Some of Ronso’s published works are listed in the Bibilioteca Digital Hispanica.
They were published from around 1875 to 1884. His O Salutaris, Panis Angelorum,
and Oh Sacrum were part of the collection.
67
Copies of Jesus Amante and Padre Nuestro by A. Insausti were in the Oslob
collection before the fire. The composer could be Agapito Insausti, an organist
and composer born in Navarra in 1851 (“Insausti Morras, Agapito,” Auñamendi
Eusko Entziklopedia website).
68
Santamarina (born in 1849) has published music on the Biblioteca Digital
Hispanica website. A copy of his Salve a 3 voices con accompanamiento de organo
obligado is in the Oslob collection, although in a lower key. The Oslob copy was
also arranged for orchestra.
69
Sagastizabal (1868–1950), an organist and composer born in Zumarraga
(see “Ignacio Busca Sagastizabal Apuntes Bibliograficos,” Familia Busca) has
published music on the Biblioteca Digital Hispanica website. He composed the
official hymn for the 22nd International Eucharistic Congress held in Madrid in
1911. A copy of his Gozos al Sagrado Corazon de Jesus was in the Oslob collection.
70
A printed copy of Benedictus a Duo de Tiples and Salve Reginaby Juan Carrerasis in
the Oslob collection. This composer could be Juan Carreras y Dagas (1828–1900)
a composer and conductor from Gerona (“Carreras y Dagas (Juan)”,Enciclopedia
UniversalIlustrada). Juan’s son, Laureano (1848–1887), also a musician and
composer, was based in Manila for a time (see “Carreras y Roure (Laureano)”,
Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada). Bañas also mentioned a Spanish composer
named Carreras who published a mass dedicated to the Archbishop of Manila
in La Lira Filipina in 1877 (131). Whether that work was composed by Juan or
Laureano (or someone else) is not determined.

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71
Arostegui (1854-1903), known as “Agustino Filipino,” was an Augustinian
composer and conductor from Spain who worked at San Agustin Church in
Manila for a time. (See Bañas, 27-28). A Letania and a Despedida a la virgen by
him were in the Oslob collection.
72
Villancicos are usually songs for Christmas n the Philippines. However, Chua
(2018) describes itas an “Iberian musico-poetic form” that was “the most popular
and widely disseminated paraliturgical genre of the Spanish colonial enterprise
that flourished from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries.” (91)
73
Lorenzo Perosi (1872–1956) was an Italian composer of sacred music and
director of the Sistine Choir in Rome. Some of his works are available online on
the IMSLP Petrucci Library website. Two masses by him are in the collection.
74
Oreste Ravanello (1871–1938) was an Italian composer and organist. Some of
his works are available online on the IMSLP Petrucci Library website. The Oslob
copy of his mass was burned, but the Ave Maria survived.
75
Luigi Bordese (between 1810 and 1825–1886) was a composer who was born
in Naples and died in Paris. Some of his works are available online on the IMSLP
Petrucci Library website. Two masses by him are in the collection, as well as a
work titled Motetes al Santisimo.
76
Piglia (born in 1887) was an Italian organist and composer (“Enrico Piglia,”
requiemsurvey.org) A mass by him is in the Oslob collection.
77
Piazzano (1841–1921) was an Italian composer. A copy of his libretto is available
on the Library of Congress website. Two works by him are on the IMSLP website.
A printed copy of his Salve Regina describes the composer as an organist from
Vercelli. A mass by him is in the Oslob collection.
78
A website dedicated to him spells his name as Theodore Von la Hache (1822–
1869). He was born in Dresden, Germany and migrated to New Orleans in 1842.
Aside from composing various works, he was the Chief Organist of the Church
of St. Theresia (“A brief introduction,” vonlahache.com). A mass by him is in the
collection.
79
Michael Haller (1840–1915) composed music that was central to the Caecilian
movement (Summers 46). A work titled Ardiente sol de gracia by him was in the
collection.
80
Edward Julius Biedermann (1849–1933) has works listed on the IMSLP website.
The pieces were published in New York. A mass by him is in the collection.
81
John Wiegand (1841–1923) was born in Germany. Some of his works, which
were published in the U.S., are available digitally at museopen.org. A mass by

106
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him is in the collection but with Cebuano text. A copy of his Ave Maria however,
did not survive the fire.
82
Jose Canseco Jr. (1839–1902) was a composer from Manila. A Salve Regina and
2 Letanias by him are in the collection.
83
Francisco Santiago (1889–1947) was a composer from Manila who came to be
known as the “Father of Kundiman.” His Ave Maria is in the collection.
84
Jose Estella (1870–1943) is another composer from Manila considered to be
the “Waltz King of the Philippines.” Two versions of Despedida a la Virgen by him
are in the collection.
85
Alfredo Buenaventura was a Filipino composer who wrote The Philippines for
Christ: Official Hymn for the Third National Eucharistic Congress.
86
Brigido Lakandazon (1877–1955) was the former maestro of Carcar, Cebu. He
was originally based in Manila and was a member of a theater troupe but later
settled in Cebu after marrying a local. Two masses and a march by him were
burned. His Salve Regina is in the collection.
87
Villanueva is a priest and composer from Cebu. He was commissioned by the
archdiocese to write masses in Cebuano.
88
Ortega could be Rdo. Miguel S. Ortega, who set ordinaries of the mass in Cebuano
to music as seen in a blog entry posted on January 17, 2016 titled “Eucaristic
Congresses in the Philippines” (deipraesidiofultus.blogspot.com). Ortega could
have also been the parish priest of Boljoon from 1976 to 1982 (based on a list
of Boljoon’s parish priests displayed in the Boljoon church museum). The violin
section of his Misa Sto. Nino was in the Oslob collection but did not survive the
fire.
89
Camilo “Milong” Rabor (ca. 1900s–1973) was a composer and saxophone player
from San Fernando, Cebu. According to an interview on June 9, 2018 with Manuel
Manugas, a music teacher from the same town, Rabor composed many works for
both sacred and entertainment purposes, but his manuscripts have been lost.
Rabor is said to have written 2 masses in Cebuano, Misa Uno, for soprano,
tenor, bass, and a wind and string ensemble (trumpet, trombone, saxophone,
clarinet, bass, and violin), and Misa Dos, for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, to be
accompanied by orchestra (the instruments were not specified by Manugas).
Rabor also composed music for the Amahan Namo (Our Father) and Maghimaya
Ka Maria (Hail Mary). A 1971 copy of the Maghimaya Ka Maria, penned by Mariano
Cuico, was found in the Oslob collection but was burned. Only photographs of
this work remain. Manugas, and some of the older generation choir members in
San Fernando, still remember the tunes of these works.

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90
Tudtud composed Misa a Virgen sa Guadalupe and Santisimo Sacramento:
Binisayang Misa sa Tanan. The copies survived the fire.
91
Sean Laverywas an Irish Columban priest and composer based for a time in
Ozamiz City. The installing of the Ozamiz Cathedral Pipe organ is largely credited
to his efforts (see Naval 13). A printed copy of Lavery’s Misang Misamisnon,
Para sa mga Batan-on, Cebuano Community Mass, dated 1968, is in the Oslob
collection.
92
Carceller’s (1894–1967) nationality is undetermined. He was an Augustinian
Recollect priest who was active in the Philippines. According to Kendall,
Carceller wrote Coleccion de Canticos Sagrados, a collection of sacred hymns set
to music, specifically for the 33rd Eucharistic Congress in Manila in 1937, which
would be widely used in parish churches in the country (87–88). A photograph
of him appears in a blog post by Dennis Kit Miguel (“On Music,” The Augustinian
Recollect Gallery). Two masses by him and a printed copy of Himno Official del
Congreso Eucaristico Int. Letre de E. Barcelon y Musica de Carcellerare in the
Oslobcollection.
93
Alcacer (1899–1994) was a priest and sacred music composer from Spain
who wrote a book of hymns, Cancionero Religioso (see Boyero 2004). A printed
copy of a community mass with texts in English and Cebuano are in the Oslob
collection.
94
A printed copy of Fr. C. G. Faelnar’s Ulaysa Fatima Misang Binisaya published in
1971, with the imprimatur of the Bishop of Palo is in the collection. We have no
information on the composer.
95
Manuel Tan Villareal was a composer from Boljoon, Cebu. He wrote Himno
Nasyonal sa Kasingkasing ni Jesus (1936), found in the Oslob collection. He also
published Unforgetful, a foxtrot, (lyrics by Cenaro Ruiz, no publication date). A
copy of this work was found in a music collection in Boljoon.
96
We have no information on this composer. He wrote 2 versions of Palandong
and 1 Pangamuyo. The music was photographed but the copies burned.
97
We have no information on this composer. He wrote a Palandong. The music was
photographed but the copy burned.
98
This could be Estanislao Tenchavez, a 20th century Cebuano composer. He wrote
a Pangamuyo. The music was photographed but the copy burned.
99
We have no information on this composer. He wrote Gozossa Virgen Cananay nga
Panabang. This copy was burned.

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100
We have no information on this composer. He wrote the music of Himno sa
Virgen sa Lourdes (words by P. E. Villoria). The music was photographed but the
copy was burned.
101
See Biblioteca Digital Hispanica catalogue.
102
Both copies burned.
103
Carroll (1892–1962) was a composer born in New Jersey (“Harry Carroll”,
Songwriters Hall of Fame website).
104
John Stepan Zamecnik (1872–1953) is known as an American film-music
composer of the early 20th century. See “J.S. Zamecnik” in The Mont Alto Motion
Picture Orchestra website. A copy of his Bachelor Girls March and Jolly Bandit
Overture are in the collection. The copy of Allegiance March was burned.
105
Sousa (1854-1932) was a popular conductor and composer. A copy of The Stars
and Stripes Forever March was part of the collection.
106
Losey (1870–1931) was a conductor and composer born in Monroe County, New
York (Edwards, ragpiano.com). A copy of his March Gloria was in the collection
before it was burned.
107
Guion (1892–1981) was a composer from Texas (Dick, “Guion, David Wendel”).
108
A copy of his Square Deal March was in the collection.
109
Botsford (1874–1949) was a ragtime pianist and composer from South Dakota
(Edwards, ragpiano.com).
110
Johnson (1873–1954) was a composer and pianist from Jacksonville, Florida,
considered an important figure in early 20th century black music (“J. Rosamond
Johnson”, Library of Congress website).
111
Antonini (1901–1983) was a composer and conductor from Milan, who later
moved to the U.S. (“Alfredo Antonini,” IMDb website).
112
Rose (1910–1990) was a composer and musical performer born in London
(“About David Rose,” davidrosepublishing.com).
113
This copy was burned.
114
This copy was burned.
115
This copy was burned.
116
This copy was burned.
117
This music school was established with Cecilian goals in mind (Ruff n.p.)
118
The copies of both works survived the fire.

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119
There are two printed versions of this mass in the Biblioteca Digital Hispanica.
120
A photocopy of a handwritten work has the note, “Misa Coral de Pio X” para sa
fiesta Dec. 8, 1980.”
121
A printed copy of this mass survived the fire.
122
The Oslob copy was also printed by Mclaughlin and Reilly. I cannot make out
the publication date due to damage from the fire.
123
The manuscripts were copied by Florencio Luna in 1929. These were damaged
but survived the fire.
124
These were damaged by the fire.
125
These were damaged by the fire.
126
The copy of this work was burned.
127
The copies were burned. It’s not verified if the parts were there to accompany
or replace the piano part.
128
There is no information on this composer. Both the original and the Binisaya
version were burned. There are photos of the Latin mass.
129
There is no information on this composer. Both the original and the Binisaya
version survived the fire.
130
There is no information on this composer. Both the original and the Binisaya
version were burned.
131
Copies of a Misa Inmaculada by John Wiegand (Binisaya version) survived the
fire.
132
The copies of Villanueva, Tudtud, Lavery, and Alcacer survived the fire.
133
O’Mora was also a Waray writer and poet. There is no information available on
Grol at the moment. Both copies survived the fire.
134
The Latin masses copied include Misa Pastoril a duo by V. Casanovas in 1964,
Misa a 3 voces de hombres by L. Perosi in 1965, Misa a 3 voces by M. Garcia in
1965, Misa de la Virgen a 3 voces by R. Calahorra in 1966, Misa a 2 voces by
J. Garcera in 1971, Pablo Hernandez in 1974, Misa Requiem by D. Carcellerin 1975,
Misa a 2 voces by J. Cabas Galvan in 1976, Misa al Santisimo Sacramento a 3
voces y organo, orquestraby R. Jimeno from 1965 to 1980, and Misa a 3 voces by
C. De Benito (undated).
135
The copies of these arrangements burned but there are photographs.

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136
It is possible that the Latin masses were only performed for special occasions.
A photocopy of the choral part of Misa Coral de Pio X by Julian VIlasecahas the
note “Misa Coral de Pio X para sa Fiesta Dec. 8, 1980.” Bernardo also copied
vocal parts for Misa al Santisimo Sacramento a 3 voces y organo, orquestra by
Roman Jimeno on March 28 and 29, 1980, perhaps in preparation for Easter
Sunday (April 6) or for the Lenten masses.

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__________________

Patricia Marion L. Abrera <pylopez@up.edu.ph> is Assistant Professor from the

Department of Art Studies, College of Arts and Letters in the University of the
Philippines Diliman. She holds an MA in Art Studies, major in Art History from the
same University.

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