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VOL. LIII No. 79
City of Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
ADVERTISERS
FRONT PAGE STORIES
Rebels reactivate for
 polls?
PAL's Airbus 320 maiden
 flight here
Celebrating Valentine's
 Day
Panglao, Dauis top
 voters list increase
Angara, Villar posters
 in town
OPINION
Obiter Dictum
A Look At Life
Fr. Roy Cimagala
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ARNOLD ZAMORA: A BOHOLANO
RISING ABOVE

From Ukelele to International Choral Conducting
By: F. Adiong
(Conclusion)

 

Zamora considers Fr. Zacharias Jimenez as his "Ryan Cayabyab in Bohol" - being his first music teacher at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary and to whom he eventually became the assistant.

He comes from a family of musicians. His father was a great banjo/bandurria player as well as a scriptwriter and director. He also played the trumpet for DWCT Band when he was in college. The late former city Mayor Honorio Grupo, also a composer was Zamora's grandmother's brother.

But Zamora looks at his two aunts as also being influential in his pursuit for the music and priestly life. His aunt, Aniana "Naning" Zamora taught him how to read the notes on the piano, particularly the bass clef. His other aunt Francisca "Cacay" Zamora was the one who bought him a piano at home which made the difference. As such, he has dedicated his studio and production name to his two aunts as "Franz Music Production" for Francisca and Aniana, hence Franz, not Fr. Arnold Zamora as somebody mistakenly thought and at one time gave him a plaque with Arnold N. Zamora.

For 15 years since becoming the music director of the IHMS in 1986, he has arranged songs for every graduation.

The new generation of Jeduthun Concert was also considered really a big thing. In fact, the Jeduthun Ensemble was granted an audience with then President Corazon Aquino at the Malacanang Palace to present the video of the concert, being a presentation for the first anniversary of the EDSA revolution.

Despite already having started his formal music school, he had to cut a semester
to help in the 40th (Ruby Jubilee) Anniversary of IHMS in August, 1990.

The "HIUSATLO" concert was a term Zamora made up in short for ''hiusa'' or panaghiusa sa tulo, pari, seminarista ug laygo. . It was an offshoot or result of the first diocesan synod in 1997 when there was a unity of people. This unity was presented in a concert where the old priests and nuns joined to perform a dance and sing.

The name Chorus Paulinus was coined from the St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Timog, Quezon City where Arnold Zamora was stationed and where we started the group. It was registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

During registration, the organizational structure included a music director/choirmaster, assistant music director/choirmaster, head of external affairs (in-charge of the concert and engagements), head of internal affairs, like the president of the group, vice president, treasurer, secretary and librarians, someone in charge of costumes. In addition, there were individual committees l for concerts, souvenir program and parties.

The members of the Singing Priests of Tagbilaran or SPOT were just hand picked by Arnold Zamora because of his knowledge of the better singers or best singers in every generation or every class of IHMS. In fact, some of the members are already his students at IHMS. like Fr. Edick Monreal and Fr. Jun Ligtas,

The proceeds of the first U.S. concert was used for the seed money of the priest's standard living allowance, which is a monthly standard salary for priests.

The proceeds of the second U.S. concert proceeds were for the health plan of the clergy. Both SPOT concerts were first financed by the diocese, then later reimbursed plus the net income.

Besides choral conducting, Zamora does more of music directing, too. Other than Chorus Paulinus and SPOT, he has also conducted the Philippine Consulate Choir at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, California, Filipino Priests Concert in the U.S. and FilAmusika, his new formed group of Filipino and American young adults. In addition, he is also the music director of the Star of the Sea Parish and conducts the Stella Maris Choir at Star of the Sea Parish along Geary Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA.

(Notes: Last February 10, 2007, Fr. Zamora marked his natal day as well as his 15th year anniversary of his founding the Chorus Paulinus and the official launching of www.arnoldzamora.org).

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For comments and suggestions, just e-mail to the following e-mail addresses: obiter@boholchronicle.com

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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