PHILIPPINE CHORAL MUSIC: A CONDUCTORS GUIDE TO SELECTED WORKS COMPOSED

BETWEEN 1900 AND 2010

by
Eliezer Garanchon Yanson Jr.
Bachelor of Music
Bob Jones University, 1998
Bachelor of Theology
Baptist Bible Seminary & Institute, 2001

Master of Music
Bob Jones University, 2000

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Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the
School of Music

University of South Carolina

2010

Accepted by:

Larry Wyatt, Major Professor

Samuel Douglas, Committee Member

Tina Milhorn-Stallard, Committee Member
Gary Beckman, Committee Member
Timothy Mousseau, Dean of the Graduate School

UMI Number: 3433197

All rights reserved

INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.

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and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.

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Copyright 2010 by Eliezer G. Yanson Jr.
All rights reserved

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F O R E W O RD
This document is part of the dissertation requirement for the Doctor of Music Arts degree
in Performance. The major portion of the dissertation consists of four public recitals.
Copies of the recital programs are bound at the end of this paper, and recordings of the

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recitals are on file in the Music Library.

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To our daughter, Isabella, and especially to my wife, Martha

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Having earned all of my music degrees from American institutions, I had
never really studied music from the country of my birth, the Philippines. This project
opened my eyes to the wonderful music Filipino composers have to offer. It also

made me grateful for my rich heritage and colorful culture.

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my professor and

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committee chair, Dr. Larry Wyatt, for his supervision, guidance, and advice. His
instructive comments and evaluation were very helpful in making my work of quality

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scholarship. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Samuel Douglas,
Dr. Tina Milhorn-Stallard, and Dr. Gary Beckman. Each individual provided insights
and suggestions that guided and challenged my thinking, substantially improving the
finished product.

Additionally, I would like to express gratitude to Dr. Joel Navarro of Calvin

College, who assisted me in creating the framework for this dissertation. I would also
like to thank Mr. Jared Mongcal, my research assistant in the Philippines, for
acquiring materials needed for this project.
My sincerest appreciation goes to the publishers, organizations, and
composers for granting me permission to include their music in my dissertation: All
Together Now, ASTRUM Music Publications (Slovenia), University of the

Philippines

Center

for

Ethnomusicology

Department,

Silliman

University

Foundation, Ramon Santos, Josefino Chino Toledo, Ryan Cayabyab, and Nilo Alcala.
I would like to thank my parents and siblings for their encouragement and
support. My deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Martha, who took this journey with
me. I am grateful for her understanding, love, support, and assistance.
Finally, I praise and thank God for His goodness, faithfulness, mercy, and

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grace He has shown me through all these years. Soli Deo Gloria!

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ABSTRACT
The Philippines is a country that possesses unique choral traditions, excellent
choirs, and fascinating composers. Along with deep tribal roots, the musical practices
of the Philippines are heavily influenced by European and American traditions. This

fusion of influences creates a style that is distinctly Filipino. Performances of

Philippine choral music on international stages have caught the attention of choral

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enthusiasts, resulting in the publication of some of these works. Many other works
remain unpublished. This research, geared towards the choral conductor and music

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educator, provides historical information on Philippine choral traditions, a discussion

of performance practice, and a guide to Philippine diction. An important aspect of
this research is an annotated choral works list, both published and unpublished, on
selected Philippine choral literature. This list aims to help the discriminating
conductor choose from a wide array of literature for concert programming. Among
the compositions featured are the masterworks of Marcelo Adonay, Lucio San Pedro,
Felipe de Leon, Lucrecia Kasilag, Jose Maceda, Francisco Feliciano, Ramon Santos,
Josefino Chino Toledo, Federico Razon, Ryan Cayabyab, John Pamintuan, and Nilo
Alcala.

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TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

iii

DEDICATION

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

v
vii

ABSTRACT
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

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Purpose of the study

Need for the study
Limitations of the study
Methodology
Literature Review

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GLOSSARY

CHAPTER 2: STREAMS OF PHILIPPINE CHORAL TRADITIONS

The First Stream: European Choral Tradition
The Second Stream: Departure from European Style
The Third Stream: Incorporation of Indigeneity with Modernity
The Fourth Stream: Eclecticism

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xi
1
3
3
3
4
5
8
9
24
36
47

CHAPTER 3: ANNOTATED CHORAL WORKS LIST

62

CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

97
102

BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
Philippine Diction Issues
A List of Philippine Choirs
Books, Thesis, and Dissertations on Philippine Ethnomusicology

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104
105
108

LIST

OF

MUSICAL EXAMPLES
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Example 2.2 Adonay, Pequea Misa Solemne, Gloria, mm. 1-9

12

Example 2.3 Adonay, Pequea Misa Solemne, Gloria, mm. 10-24

13

Example 2.4 San Pedro, Suite Pastorale, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, mm. 1-8

16

Example 2.1 Du Monts motive as applied to Adonays Kyrie

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Example 2.6 De Leon, Payapang Daigdig, mm. 1-13

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Example 2.5 San Pedro, Suite Pastorale, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, mm. 9-16

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Example 2.8 San Pedro, Payapang Daigdig, mm. 1-16

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Example 2.9 Magdamo, arr. Ili-ili, Tulog Anay, mm. 20-25

23

Example 2.10 Maceda, Ugma-Ugma, mm. 1-43

26

Example 2.11 Maceda, Ugma-Ugma, mm. 156-159

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Example 2.12 Kasilag, De Profundis, Out of the Depths, mm. 1-14

31

Example 2.13 Kasilag, De Profundis, The Beatitudes, mm. 1-16

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Example 2.14 Kasilag, De Profundis, To Our God, mm. 1-8

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Example 2.15 Feliciano, Pamugun, mm. 50-55

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Example 2.16 Santos, Ding Ding Nga Diyawa

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Example 2.17 Santos, Ding Ding Nga Diyawa

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Example 2.18 Santos, Ding Ding Nga Diyawa

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Example 2.7 De Leon, Payapang Daigdig, mm. 69-78

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Example 2.20 Toledo, Alitaptap, mm. 3-5

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Example 2.21 Federizon, Gabaq-an, mm. 1-2

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Example 2.22 Federizon, Gabaq-an, mm. 3-14

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Example 2.23 Federizon, Gabaq-an, mm. 15-17

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Example 2.24 Cayabyab, Misa, Kyrie, mm. 1-12

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Example 2.25 Cayabyab, Misa, Kyrie, mm. 35-37

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Example 2.26 Pamintuan, Pater Noster, mm. 1-14

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Example 2.27 Pamintuan, Pater Noster, mm. 15-34

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Example 2.28 Alcala, Papanok A Lakitan, mm. 9-16

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Example 2.19 Toledo, Alitaptap, mm. 1-2

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Example 2.29 Alcala, Papanok A Lakitan, mm. 93-96

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GLOSSARY
term for knobbed gong with deep, slightly turned in rims; found in
southern Philippines. Also spelled agong.

gabbang:

a bamboo xylophone with 3 to 22 keys of graduated lengths (depending on

the tribe) mounted on a trapezoidal box; found in southern Philippines
among the Yakan, Samal, Tausug, and Palawan tribes.

gandingan:

large (c. 50 cm. in diameter) bossed gongs with shallow, slightly turned in
rims; found among the Maguindanao tribe of southern Philippines.

kubing:

term for Jaw harp in southern Philippines. It is kuding in northern

Philippines.

kulintang:

a row of 5-11 bossed gongs of graduated sizes laid on a wooden frame;

found in southern Philippines.

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agung:

tongatong:

bamboo stamping tube

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The emergence of Philippine choral music to the international choral scene was
not an immediate process. Philippine choirs introduced choral music by Filipino
composers through performances, not only in their native land but in Europe, the United

States, and Asia. In Europe, most Philippine choirs compete in the continents most
prestigious choral competitions, such as the International Guido dArezzo Polyphonic

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Contest (Italy), Bla Bartok International Choir Competition (Hungary), Cesare Augusto

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Seghizzi Competition (Italy), Tolosa Choral Competition (Spain), Tours Vocal

Competition (France), and the International May Choir Competition (Bulgaria). 1 The
grand prize winner of each of these competitions competes the following year in the
European Grand Prix for Choral Singing.

Among the Philippine choirs that competed in the European Grand Prix for
Choral Singing are the Philippine Madrigal Singers, University of Santo Tomas Singers,
and the Ateneo College Glee Club. Only the Philippine Madrigal Singers have emerged
as the Grand Prize winner, not once, but twice in 1997 and 2007. These choirs always
include choral music by Filipino composers in their repertoire, thereby, introducing
Philippine choral music to audiences, fellow competitors, and adjudicators.

In 2008, the C.A. Seghizzi Competition ceased its participation in the European Grand Prix. It was
replaced by the International Choral Competition Maribor (Slovenia).

The Philippine Madrigal Singers first exposure to the international choral scene
was in 1969, when they were invited to perform at the International University Choral
Festival at Lincoln Center in New York. 2 In 1993, they presented a concert at the national
convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) in San Antonio,
Texas. The only other Philippine choir that has sung at an ACDA national convention is
the Philippine Chamber Singers - Los Angeles. This community-based singing
organization performed an all-Filipino program in Miami in 2007. Aside from these two
ensembles, many college and university-based choirs tour the United States regularly,

such as the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, University of the Philippines

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Singing Ambassadors, University of Santo Tomas Singers, and the Ateneo Chamber
Singers. These choirs perform in states where there is a huge Filipino population such as

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California, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Illinois.

In Asia, Philippine choirs often are invited to tour and participate in choral
competitions and festivals. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia are among the
Asian countries that have been frequented by Philippine choirs. During the 7th World
Symposium of Choral Music, held in Kyoto, Japan, the Philippines San Miguel Master
Chorale was among the choirs invited to perform.
With these worldwide performances, works by Filipino composers have caught
the attention of choral conductors and music educators. Composers such as Francisco
Feliciano, Josefino Toledo, Robin Estrada, Federico Razon, Joel Navarro, Fidel Calalang,
John Pamintuan, Nilo Alcala, and Ryan Cayabyab have written choral works that have

Paul Cutts, "Cultural Ambassadors." Choir & Organ 7, no. 1 (January 1999): 25. Academic Search
Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 25, 2009).

been performed not only by Philippine choirs, but choirs from other countries as well.
Several of these works have been published, but many have not.

Purpose of the Study

The purposes of this study are threefold: First, to expose the four streams of
Philippine choral traditions from the late nineteenth century to the present; second, to
introduce choral conductors and music educators to choral literature by Filipino
composers written between 1900 and 2010; and third, to provide a guide to performing

Philippine choral music through a discussion of performance practices and linguistic

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Need for the Study

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issues.

Non-Philippine choirs have been performing works by Filipino composers in

school concerts, music festivals, competitions, and conventions on almost every
continent. Since resources on Philippine choral music are very limited, there is a need to
provide choral conductors and music educators resources to help them in performing
Philippine choral music.

Limitations of the Study

The biographies of the composers presented in this study are not exhaustive but a
brief sketch of their education, career highlights, and present occupation, if applicable.
The compositions featured are not in-depth analyses, but an overview of the
compositional styles of each composer.

Methodology
The methods for this research have been heavily based on historical research,
interviews, correspondence, and acquisition of manuscript copies and published scores
from the composers or publishers. Unpublished manuscript copies that are housed in
Philippine libraries, as well as publications only distributed in the Philippines and Asia,
were accessed in person by this author. A guide to Philippine diction is discussed in the
appendix.

this format:

The annotated works list is arranged alphabetically by composer. It is provided in

Names and Dates

Title:

Includes date of composition. Translations of titles

provided in parenthesis.

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Life:

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Composer:

A brief biographical sketch for each composer.

Duration:

Approximate duration based on available recordings.

Text:

Source of text supplied, which may include author, title,

and dates.

Language:

More than one language indicates a polylingual

composition. Languages in parenthesis indicate the
translation(s) provided.

Voicing:

Choral forces are listed by abbreviations for voice parts.

Soloists:

Soloists are identified by voice parts.

Accompaniment:

Unaccompanied if no instruments are employed.

Publisher:

The name of publishing company and the date of

publication are provided, if known.

Pub. No:

Publishers order number is provided when available.

Notes:

Information on premiere performance in the Philippines

and first international performance and information about
the composition.

Performance Issues:

Descriptive analysis, evaluation, and supplementary data of

the work.

Selected Discography:

Information on recordings, if available.

Selected Online Performance: Information on audio and video demonstrations online,

if available.
The format was adapted from three sources: a monograph published by the
American Choral Directors Association, Twentieth Century Choral Music: An Annotated

Bibliography of Music Appropriate for College and University Choirs 3 ; Jonathan Greens

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A Conductors Guide to Nineteenth-Century Choral-Orchestral Works 4 ; and Shannon

Jeffreys doctoral dissertation, The Choral Music of Trond Kverno: An Annotated Works

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List 5 .

Literature Review
Scores

Only a handful of the scores addressed in this study are published in the United
States, Europe, and the Philippines. The remainder of the scores is manuscript copies.
These scores (published and unpublished) are either available from the composer, the
University of the Philippines College of Music Library, the Cultural Center of the
Philippines Library or interlibrary loan.

Gordon Paine, ed., Twentieth Century Choral Music: An Annotated Bibliography of Music Appropriate
for College and University Choirs (Lawton, Oklahoma: American Choral Directors Association, 1997).
4
Jonathan D. Green, A Conductors Guide to Nineteenth-Century Choral-Orchestral Works (Lanham,
Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, 2008).
5
Shannon Jeffreys, The Choral Music of Trond Kverno: An Annotated Works List (DMA diss.,
University of South Carolina, Columbia, 2007).

Encyclopedias
Biographical information and works list on most of the featured composers in this
study are found in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and Die Musik in
Geschichte und Gegenwart [Music in History and the Present]. Other biographical
information of composers not found in the sources listed above has been attained through
personal correspondence or through their web page. The Garland Encyclopedia of World
Music contains comprehensive articles on the history and development of Philippine

instrumental and vocal music.

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Books

Books written on Philippine choral music are limited and are mostly accessible

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only through Philippine libraries and interlibrary loan. The principal authors are Ramon
Santos, Jose Maceda, Francisco Feliciano, Corazon Dioquino, and Elena Rivera Mirano.
Choral scholar, Nick Strimple, in his book Choral Music in the Twentieth Century briefly
discusses choral compositions by Filipino composers. 6

Journal Articles

Ramon Santos, Jose Maceda, Francisco Feliciano, Corazon Dioquino, Jonas Baes,
and Joel Navarro are the Philippines leading experts in Philippine choral music. Their
articles are available in Philippine and Asian journals, and in JSTOR. The Cultural
Center of the Philippines Library also houses journal articles written by many of these
authors.

Nick Strimple, Choral Music in the Twentieth Century (Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2005).

Dissertations
While a number of dissertations have been written on Philippine music, mostly on
ethnomusicology, only two doctoral dissertations have been written on Filipino choral
composers and their compositions. 7 Katherine Domingos dissertation focuses on the
Mass settings of Marcelo Adonay, Bonifacio Abdon, Francisco Buencamino, and Ryan
Cayabyab. Joel Navarros dissertation is on Ramon Santos selected choral compositions.

Choral Anthologies & Hymn Collections

Verne de la Pea, one of the Philippines leading scholars, has compiled three

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volumes of Philippine choral music. These anthologies are available through the
publisher and interlibrary loan. Composer and scholar Francisco Feliciano assembled a

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hymnal containing original songs composed by Filipino and Asian composers. This
collection is also available through the publisher and interlibrary loan.

Refer to Appendix C for further study on Philippine ethnomusicology.

CHAPTER 2
STREAMS OF PHILIPPINE CHORAL MUSIC
Music in the Philippines existed long before Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set
foot on Philippine soil in 1521. Evidences of vocal and instrumental music were recorded
by Antonio Pigafetta, who acted as Magellans assistant. 8 When the Spaniards finally

settled in 1565, changes in politics, religion, and music took place. The Philippine Islands
became a colony of Spain, thus introducing Catholicism, the Spanish language,

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Ecclesiastical Latin, western European lifestyle and music, and the Spanish zarzuela. 9

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Through the Treaty of Paris in 1898, Spain relinquished the Philippines to the
United States, marking the end of over three centuries of Spanish rule. With the
Philippines becoming a colony of the United States, changes in governance and education
were implemented. English was taught as well as evangelical Christianity. American
music such as jazz, big band, Sunday school songs, hymns, gospel songs and Negro
spirituals was introduced.

In 1941 Japan invaded and occupied the Philippines during World War II. That
caused General Douglas MacArthur to flee in 1942, while giving hope to the Filipino
people with his famous line, I shall return. MacArthur returned two years later,

Corazon Canave-Dioquino, The Lowland Christian Philippines, in Southeast Asia, ed. Terry E. Miller
Sean Williams, vol. 4 of The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music (New York: Garland Publishing,
1998), 839.
9
Zarzuela is a theatrical play with music and dance.

liberating the Philippines from Japan. On July 4, 1946, the United States renounced its
sovereignty over the Philippines, giving the Philippines its true independence.
The history of the Philippines brought a unique choral tradition that can be
categorized into four streams: 1) European choral tradition, 2) departure from the
European style, 3) incorporation of indigeneity with modernity, and 4) eclecticism.

The First Stream: European Choral Tradition

Choral music during colonial times was heavily influenced by the western

European tradition, which was first introduced by the Spanish friars. They introduced

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Gregorian chants and polyphony and provided music education to Filipinos which

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included vocal and instrumental instruction as well as studies in theory and counterpoint.

Marcelo Adonay

One of the earliest composers who benefited from music education by the
Spaniards was Marcelo Adonay. He was born in Pakil, Laguna on February 6, 1848. 10 At
the age of eight, Adonay was sent to be educated by the Spanish friars of the Augustinian
order at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros where he learned the piano, organ, violin,
and music theory. 11 His training as a tiple (boy soprano) and assistant to the chapel
organist provided valuable exposure to plainchant and European polyphonic music of the
15th and 16th centuries. Adonay was basically a self-taught composer, but it was under the
tutelage of Manuel Arostegui, a prominent Augustinian music professor, that Adonay
honed his compositional and conducting skills. In 1870, he was appointed conductor of
10

Pakil is approximately thirty-seven miles south of Manila.

Intramuros means walled city in Spanish. It is literally a walled fortress built to serve as the center of
political, military, and religious power for Spain.

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the church orchestra, a post he held until 1914. As orchestra director, he led performances
of Beethovens Missa Solemnis in 1887, Antonio Reparazs Missa a 3 voces in 1891, and
Hilarion Eslavas Miserere Grande in 1893. 12 A well-loved musician, both by Filipinos
and foreigners, Adonay died on February 8, 1928.

Pequea Misa Solemne

Marcelo Adonays largest and most important work is a mass entitled, Pequea
Misa Solemne sobre motives de la Misa Regia del Canto Gregoriano. Filipino scholars

and musicians refer to this monumental work as Pequea Misa Solemne. Adonay

the San Agustin Church.

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composed the mass between 1901 and 1903, and it was premiered on August 28, 1904 at

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This mass follows the typical five-moment structure of the Mass Ordinary: Kyrie,
Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. It is scored for tiple, contralto, tenor, and bass
and includes solo parts for four soloists. The instrumental parts are for flute, two clarinets
in B-flat, two bassoons, two trumpets in B-flat, three trombones, two horns in F, timpani,
and full strings. This orchestration is a testament to Adonays knowledge of nineteenthcentury Western European orchestras and, perhaps, a tribute to one of his favorite choralorchestral works, Beethovens Missa Solemnis. Table 1 shows a comparative
investigation of the instrumentation for Beethovens Missa Solemnis and Adonays
Pequea Misa Solemne.

12

Elena Rivera Mirano, et al., The Life and Works of Marcelo Adonay, Volume I (Quezon City: University
of the Philippines Press, 2009), 25.

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Table 1. Instrumentation for Missa Solemnis and Pequea Misa Solemne

Adonays Instrumentation for Pequea Misa
Solemne
Flute
2 Clarinets
2 Bassoons
2 Horns
2 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Timpani
Violins I, II
Violas
Cellos
Basses

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Beethovens Instrumentation for Missa

Solemnis
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets
2 Bassoons
Contrabassoon
4 Horns
2 Trumpets
Alto trombone
Tenor trombone
Bass trombone
Timpani
Organ
Violins I, II
Violas
Cellos
Basses

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The complete title of the mass suggests that Adonay used motives from a
Gregorian chant, but in reality, it is based on a composition by Henry Du Mont (16101684). 13 The opus referred to is Cinq messes en plain-chant, a group of chant-like style
masses written in 1669. 14 Du Monts motive is used in four of the five movements. In the
Kyrie and Sanctus movements, Du Monts motive is used in its entirety. Example 2.1
illustrates Du Monts motive in the Kyrie. Only half of the motive is used in Gloria. The
Agnus Dei is the only movement that does not utilize Du Monts motif. Additionally, the
music in Kyrie and Sanctus are identical.

13

Corazon Canave Dioquino, The Life and Works of Marcelo Adonay, Volume I. ed. Elena Rivera Mirano
(Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2009), 131.
14
Laurence Decobert. "Du Mont, Henry." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/08315 (accessed August 2, 2010).

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Example 2.1. Du Monts motive (top) as applied to Adonays own Kyrie

The Renaissance practice of intoning a chant by the priest before the choir sings is

adapted by Adonay. In Gloria (Ex. 2.2) a bass soloist sings the Du Mont motive before

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the chorus exults in jubilating Gloria in excelsis Deo.

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Example 2.2. Adonay, Pequea Misa Solemne, Gloria, mm. 1-9.

Adonays choral writing, as seen in example 2.3, also speaks of his knowledge in
textual painting. The tessitura of the singing parts is reasonably high to portray the
meaning of the text, Glory to God in the highest.
12