The "Misa Pastorela" Tradition of Provincial Philippine Churches

    Pastoral Masses "Misa Pastorela" are traditionally sung during Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses celebrated for 9 days before Christmas.) As in the name, the Misa Pastorela were composed in the 'pastoral' fashion - they are primarily written in 6/8, with prominent dotted rhythms in the melody, sometimes with a drone to depict shepherds and the countryside. 

    Back then, singing the Misa Pastorela is a staple of the Simbang Gabi tradition in the Philippines. However, with the introduction of the New Roman Missal (Novus Ordo) in 1969 brought by Vatican II, the tradition singing the Pastorela started to disappear. Some churches translated the lyrics into the vernacular to adhere with Vatican II, but most abandoned the old Pastorela settings. In addition, recent composers wrote new Pastorela settings modeled after the New Mass. Only a few places today still sing the old Pastorelas of the olden times.

Pastoral Masses of Remigio Calahorra

Copy of Misa de Pastorella by Calahorra at San Agustin Church. From CCP Tuklas Sining

    Remigio Calahorra was a Spanish composer who went to the Philippines in the 1860s to become the "Maestro de Capilla" (Music Director) of Manila Cathedral. In his career as a composer in Spain and in the Philippines, he mainly wrote sacred works. These include Masses, Villancicos (Christmas carols), Salves, Requiems etc. Of these works, he wrote at least 3 Pastoral Masses: "Misa Pastoril," "Misa de Aguinaldo," and "Misa de Pastorela." with the last being the most popular.

    Calahorra's works were widely performed in Manila during in the late 19th century, mainly the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church. His "Misa de Pastorela" is sung as far as Iloilo and Cebu today. 

Missa de Pastores of Antoni Vaqué 

Copy of Vaqué's mass used in Sta. Rita, Pampanga. Composer previously attributed to Calahorra, now corrected. Copied by Apung Odón Ocampo. Courtesy of Marcel San Pedro

    This mass setting is one of the most familiar Pastoral Masses that is still sung in many places in Pampanga. It was once thought to be a work by Remigio Calahorra for a long time, hence some of the locals calling it "Missa Calahorra." However, most recent research has proven that the Mass was actually by Vaqué, after printed sheet music of the work bearing his name was found.

    There are no records of Vaqué going to the Philippines, so how the score came to be in Pampanga is a bit of a mystery. For this, I wrote my own analysis here:

    When the Missa de Pastores of Antoni Vaqué was found, the score is intact but the cover page is missing. Only the plate number "R. 313 G." at the bottom of the score hints at who published it. After looking at many Spanish-published scores in the late 19th century, I found that it was published in Barcelona by the publisher Rafael Guardia.
    With identification of the plate number, we can also guess its publication date since the plate numbers are listed in chronological order. Comparing Guardia scores at the catalog of the National Library of Spain, it puts the publication date to be around 1883-1885. 
    On answering the question of how did this came to Pampanga, a most plausible scenario would be: Someone went to Manila and bought a copy of this published work at the music store "Massaguer y Echegoyen" in Escolta. According to Iñigo-Chua (2018), This music store was the sole reseller of scores published by Rafael Guardia in the Philippines at the time. The identity of this person might be a member of the clergy assigned to Pampanga, or a local Kampampagan. 

Misa Pastorela of Pablo Hernández Salces

Locally produced score of Hernandez's Mass. Copy from CCP Library

    Pablo Hernández Salces was a Spanish composer active in Madrid. He studied under Hilarion Eslava, and was organist of Real Basílica de Atocha. He primarily made sacred works, but he also made music for zarzuela and other secular music.

    Since Vatican II, this mass is translated into the vernacular, such as in Mogpog, Marinduque (in Tagalog) and in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental (in Cebuano.) But it was occasionally sung in the original Latin as well.

Misa Pastoril de Jaro

One of the many copies of the mass sung in Iloilo. Courtesy of hymnsbygh.blogspot.com

    This Pastoral Mass is still being sung in Jaro, Iloilo. The Pastoral Mass tradition in Iloilo (and the whole Panay Island for that matter) is one of the most celebrated in the country, with many parishes there using the "Misa Pastoril de Jaro" in their Simbang Gabi. However, the composer of this popular mass setting has been forgotten. Circulating scores bear the names of Pablo Hernandez and other composers, but the actual composer is still yet to be identified.

Misa Pastorela of Antonio Trueba  

    This Pastoral Mass was sung in Gapan, Nueva Ecija - home of the prominent Zabat family of musicians. Until recently, this work was unidentified and lost. The last performance of the work is in 1971, and the performance has been recorded to a cassette tape. However it is incomplete with the Kyrie, Gloria, and a part of the Credo only recorded.

    Only in recent research that the mass is rediscovered. It has been identified that the mass was written by Spanish composer Antonio Trueba and published in Madrid. How it came to Nueva Ecija is most likely the same as in the Vaqué mass.

Conclusion

    These are only some of the surviving Misa Pastorelas currently sung by churches across the country. More research is needed in order to uncover more information about this dwindling tradition. I have heard people talk about the different Latin pastorelas of Bohol, Leyte, Bicol, and other places, but I can't find any further information about them. Mysteries such as the origins of why certain Pastorelas are sung in certain locations, and identification of the composers of some of some pastorelas like the famous Misa Pastoril de Jaro would hopefully be discovered in the future. We can only hope that a more in-depth research of this tradition be done for it to be preserved and recorded in our books.