The Pipe Organ of Saint Augustine of Hippo Parish
The historic pipe organ of Saint Augustine of Hippo Parish in Bacong, Negros Oriental is one of the few remaining century-old Spanish made pipe organs in the country. The pipe organ was acquired by the people of Bacong on March 28, 1894 as the crowning piece of the entire parish-church building that started in 1849. It is an instrument completely made in Spain by the renowned organ-building family (brothers Juan and Manuel Roque) of Roques Hermanos Constructores in Zaragoza, Spain which has exported to the country some of their instruments from 1890 to 1910. Other existing instruments of Roques Hermanos are in Garcia Hernandez in the island of Bohol and in the town of Jimenez in Misamis Occidental.
The people of Bacong have learned to love the instrument which was very evident from the efforts made in the past to repair the organ. Remarkably, the instrument remained quite intact despite the damages from termites and subsequent repairs made.
Restoration
The organ was disassembled in December 9, 2008 after an agreement was settled between Diego Cera Organbuilders, Parish of St. Augustine and the Municipal Government of Bacong. The disassembly and crating took about 1 week. The organ reached Las Pinas on January 7, 2009 where restoration work immediately started.
Each part was inspected thoroughly for damages. It was determined that the ‘windchest’ (the heart of the organ) was beyond repair and would be reconstructed exactly as the old one. The extent of the termite damage was not only on the windchest but also on some parts of the mechanics and casework. Strict reconstruction procedures were followed in replacing the damaged parts. Same wood joining techniques were implemented and as much as possible same types of wood were also used. Damages on parts with oak wood were reconstructed using imported oak wood. The windchest which was mainly constructed with pine wood were reconstructed using local Philippine wood that is more durable and less prone to termite attack than the imported pine wood. Such compromise is necessary to lengthen the life of the instrument.
The keyboard underwent an intensive work. New bushings were installed and all keys were balanced and a new set of white cover were glued as the original ivory were all gone. Since it is now illegal to use ivory, we have decided to use white plastic instead.
Majority of wind ducts made from lead were replaced with tin and lead alloy as most lead tubes have become powdery and may not last long. A big number of lead tubes have been previously replaced with PVC pipes.
The main bellows (wind reservoir) and the two pump bellows were still quite intact. Nails used during previous repairs were painstakingly removed and all cracks professionally sealed. Local pig skin was used replacing the sheepskin as the local leather is more durable than the original. The pump mechanism was also restored and is now functional but to ease the use of the organ, a new electric blower specially made for pipe organs was added. The addition of the motor has been done in a manner acceptable to restorations of pipe organs.
The casework also underwent a thorough restoration. Damaged ornaments and carvings were reconstructed. The entire back panels, support beams and posts were also reconstructed as the old parts have weakened due to termite damages. The top cover of the organ was also professionally added as it is possible that it did not originally had one but was only later added to protect the inside parts of the organ. All panels were dismantled, fixed and then glued together. Most of them have warped and were difficult to align to their positions.
The whole set of Bajoncillo pipes were reconstructed as they were all missing as well as 25 other pipes from various stops. Materials used are in the same alloy of 60% tin and 40% lead as the original pipes.
The missing ornamental stops Pajarito and Gaita were reconstructed.
After 8 months of work, the organ was sent back to Bacong on September 7, 2009. Re-assembly started on September 10 and was completed on October 1, 2009.
Stoplist
1. Flautado de 13 56 pipes (7 wood / 49 metal)
2. Violon 56 pipes (20 wood / 36 metal)
3. Viola 56 pipes (12 wood / 44 metal)
4. Celeste 32 pipes (metal)
5. Octava 56 pipes (metal)
6. Quincena 56 pipes (metal)
7. Corneta 96 pipes (metal)
8. Trompeta Batalla 56 pipes (metal)
9. Bajon 8 pies 56 pipes (metal)
10. Bajoncillo 56 pipes (metal)
11. Gaita 1 pipe (metal)
12. Pajaros 4 pipes (metal)
Total number of pipes: 581 pipes (39 wood pipes / 542 metal pipes)
Manual keyboard compass: C – g3 (56 keys)
Neo-gothic casework in Oak
Blessing and Concert
October 28, 2009
9:30 am - Blessing and Final Acceptance
7:30 pm - Concert
Alejandro Consolacion II, organist
Franz Ramirez, oboist
