The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-14
THE FILIPINO MUSIC
Continued from page 4)

voices that would seem to startle the
very dead, have often entered the
empty sanctuaries in the mid'atter-
noon Just to hear the resoundlng roll
OF that majestic basso profundo OF the
priests up in the choir at their daily
devotion, Like the booming OF the
surf upon the stand, those chants
would come down from the high gal
leries, seemingly hunting out the last
shrinking echo from the farthest
nook and corner OF the old temple,
II was an experience never TO be for
gotten,
Among the people, particularly
those of the provinces more remote
from the city OF Manila, there are a
number OF folk-song ballads describ'
ing local events or celebrations, and
extending to the interminable length
usual to such songs During passion
week il is common to see at any way
side shrine one or more women knecl-
ing BY the hour while they drone oat
lengthy poem known as The Pas
sion" The words are read from the
book and the tune is any is any sort
Of infection that the skill or taste Of
the singer may suggest, The usual
effect OF the performance is unutter-
ably weird and depressing.
Among these people instrumental
music has outrun the vocal expression
of musical feeling, which is again
partly the result OF the teachings OF
the church. Aside from this, how
ever, the people have unique system
OF making musical instruments from
the bamboo cane. The fiber is hard
of every size and length, and the hol-
and the hollow center is smooth and
OF every size and length, and thehol-
low center is smooth and OF even cal
iber, except for the partitions at the
Joints, which are not difficult to re-
move, il the length be not too great.
There is every reason to believe that
these instruments were made in prim-
tive times. The records OF the early
explorers OF the island show that the
people were accustomed to hold oc-
casional festivals accompanied by
which of course the people made for
These performances
were presided over by sort OF priest
ess who swayed and chanted while
the band" played.
The modern successor OF this per-
Torrance is the Bamboo Band" to
be seen and heard in the provinces
today. 1t is a collection of half a
dozen or more instruments made OF
bamboo cane. They are of various
sizes and pitches, and while not i'll
perfect tune, the results are regarded
as quite musical by the admiring pop
ulace. The lowest tuba is made OF
a section OF the cane five inches in
diameter which is blown on the prin-
cipl OF the closed organ pipe. BY |
opening or closing hole in the side
Of the cane, two notes are produced
at the will OF the performer. The
notes are pitched in about the rela-
ton of tonic and dominant, and this |
serves as the basis OF the harmonic
structure. The other instruments are
more easily formed, most Of them on
the flute or fife principle, and the
tonal effect OF the ensemble is sur
prise to any one hearing it for the
first time, though of course the music
rendered upon such an Instruments
ton must be OF very simple structure,
These bands are used principally |
at the bales or native dances, and
on the fiesta days of the churches
where they lead the professions,
There are guitars and fiddles to be
found in every town, but they are OF
foreign importation and the perfor-
thereon are of the back-coun- |
try hoedown variety. Travelling one
night along the winding bank of the
Pasig River, | heard a rhythmical
squeak and toot that rose and fell as
| caught up with the sound found a
ball in progress on board
a casco (hatboat) tied to the bank.
A Yankee fiddle furnished the squeak,
and a bamboo tuba" the bass, which
like the "orator Puff" of schoolboy
days had two tones in its voice. When
it was not sounding one it was toot-
ing away industriously on the other.
The senoritas were hopping about in
all the glory OF native full-dress
which surpasses the decollete Of west
ern society in that the Filipino belle
is not only bare Of neck and shoulder,
but of foot and ankle as well. After
II - f.. ~ cn..1d ;ndnn har feet