(Note: For the next two issues, we give way to this piece on Fr. Arnold Zamora, a Boholano priest, who has gained international prominence in the field of music)

Arnold Zamora during the December, 2006 Concert: "Priestly Hands and Voices" where he wrote the theme song with the same title

Fr. Arnold Zamora, the famous Filipino musician, composer, conductor and singer, now of international caliber, started it all with the ''ukelele'', a four-stringed instrument, at the age of 10 when he was in grade 4. In grade 5, he progressed to a five string guitar, and then the 6-string guitar in grade 6. The "ukelele" was, therefore, his first musical instrument. Zamora is a Paring Bol-anon who has carved for himself a name in the national music industry as singer, arranger, composer and conductor. He founded the Psalterion Choir at the University of

Born in Tagbilaran City and growing up in Taloto District, he attended the College of Holy Spirit now Holy Spirit School, then the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary for both his high school and college education.

He had his first taste of concerts as a sophomore at the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Seminary or IHMS in 1975, as a performer in a concert for the IHMS Silver
Jubilee held at the Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran City. He sang with the
group of seminarians his age called "the young Jeduthun".

His first attempt at song-writing was at the age of 16, a love song to a now-forgotten "object of his attention", after graduating from high school and with help of the ukelele.

Even then, and although he learned those instruments such as the uke and guitar as a young boy, he still says that music did not come early in his life. This is so because he did not have any idea about musical notes and was bereft of any piano at home. He only learned to play the piano when he was 17 years old and thus considers himself a late bloomer in terms of playing this instrument. It was only when he entered the seminary that he discovered and developed his musical talents. Despite not being able to read notes when he entered the seminary, he was gifted with a beautiful soprano voice such that his classmates chose him as the class music commissioner and since then, he has been the class music commissioner. This role he continued to play at the University of Santo Tomas School of Theology. Zamora claims that being a musician has not been always his dream. He looked at himself as more of an "athlete" person, specifically a basketball player. Some people even thought he would become a professional basketball player one day, but then, music just conquered or overpowered it.

Nevertheless, he still formed the basketball varsity team at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary and was the swimming athlete for the PRISAA. He later represented the Tagbilaran City private schools in swimming during the provincial meet.

In 1979, Arnold Zamora's first stint in concerts as a music director began with the performance at the Calape Cultural Center in Calape, Bohol and another one at the Divine Word College of Tagbilaran now Holy Name University auditorium in Tagbilaran City.

For the concert in 1979, Zamora's music class was required to try making just one song for the mass, regardless of what part. Zamora, however, ended up writing the songs for every part of about 5 or 10 songs.

In 1981, the song "Be my Santa Claus" was his breakout composition, so considered because it had a wider audience, the competition was challenging and Zamora was competing against the whole university. Nonoy Tan, a famous Filipino song writer, was the chairman of the judges who personally handed him the prize trophy.

"Psalm 73" was also a notable song because the competition was against people who were big names in the Philippine music industry. The one who got the first place was Jimmy Antiporda and Jane Cruz. Jimmy Antiporda is now a well-known song writer in the Philippines and has a lot of hit songs. Jane Cruz later changed her name to Jaime Rivera.

For the Jeduthun Tours, there was one concert per town, with the last one held at the Holy Spirit School Auditorium. There was just one concert in Davao City during the installation of Most Rev. Alfredo Baquial as the new auxiliary Bishop of Davao. (To be continued on Wednesday)

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