The 33rd International Bamboo Organ Festival is scheduled to take place Feb. 21 to 29, 2008, at the Las Piñas Church. The opening invitational GALA that kicks off the event on Feb. 21 is traditionally meant for sponsors and subscribing member so f the festival. This time it will also pay tribute to special friends of the Festival who have supported this cultural activity since its inception: members of the Ladies Committee, Dr. Johann Trummer, Mr. Josef Kamykowski, and Ms. Anna Stock. The program for the evening will feature one of Bach’s most beautiful works - the solo cantata for baritone and orchestra no. 82 to be sung by Noel Azcona accompanied by the Festival Orchestra under Chino Toledo; an organ concerto by Handel to be played by French organist Ghislain Leroy; and the newly discovered Misa de Sales dated 1826 from Baclayon, Bohol, which will be premiered by the Las Pinas Boys Choir.

Ghislain Leroy returns the next day, Feb. 22 for AN EVENING OF ORGAN MUSIC, wherein he will play both the Bamboo Organ in the church, and the contemporary organ in the school Auditorium. Pieces by Couperin, Bach, Byrd, Buxtehude, and Aubertin will be performed in this concert made possible through the sponsorship of Alliance Francaise de Manille and Cultures France. IN CONCERT: THE LAS PINAS BOYS CHOIR will take place on Saturday, Feb. 23, when the resident choir will be presented in a full concert of their own for the first time in many years. Conducted by Armando Salarza and together with their guests, organist Alejandro Consolation II, and the Las Pinas Mens Choir, they will be doing a combination of sacred music and contemporary Filipino compositions.

On Feb. 24, the traditional outdoor event CONCERT UNDER THE TREES will take place in the church patio, featuring the husband-and-wife team of Robert Sena and Isay Alvarez of Miss Saigon fame in an evening of popular songs. This will be followed by ORGAN AND VOICES on Monday, Feb. 25, which is actually a repeat of the GALA concert except for the organ numbers which will now be performed by Rea L. Jimenez and Armando Salarza. They will be doing two pieces for duo organs.

The festival ends with MESSA DI GLORIA, to be performed on Feb. 27 and 29. We celebrate the 150th birthday of the opera composer Giacomo Puccini with a performance of his only mass, written in 1880. Soloists are Randy Gilongo, tenor, and Noel Azcona, baritone, together with the Coro Tomasino and the Festival Orchestra led by Maestro Chino Toledo. Bach’s Double Concerto in C Majore BWV 1061 to be played by Dr. Johann Trummer and Armando Salarza will open the evening’s program.