Charles Ll .Abingwas born in 1967 in Ozamiz City, the second son of 6 children of Maximo Abing Sr and Charlita Llanda. He started studying the piano at 9 years old under Mrs. Armenia Jalalon-Nerida and he learned how to play the harmonion organ (see picture below) by himself when he was 13 at the Philippine Independent Church in Tangub City and became the organist during special Masses at Tangub City National High School.
In 1984, he was awarded the William Masterson Foundation Scholarship to study Agricultural Engineering at Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) in Cagayan de Oro City. He joined the Campus Chapel Aides. During noon breaks, he learned to play the Yamaha electone (2 ocatve pedal) by himself and became the regular organist and the music ministry chairperson of XUCCA. The Chaplain, Fr. Mariano Y. Varela, SJ was instrumental in discovering his talent in music. Fr. Varela bought for him the latest sophisticated Yamaha organ and encouraged him to compose music for the Responsorial Psalms. It was Lenten season of 1984 that he started to compose music for the Responsorial Psalms. These psalms are still being sang in the churches until today. Some of these psalms are in the book Psalms to Sing. In 1988, he left XU to enroll in the School of Music and Fine Arts (now College of Performing Arts) in Silliman University, Dumaguete City and was awarded the Ruth Palmer Scholarship after gaining good grades for a semester. He studied Piano with Albert Faurot, Elisabeth Susan Vista-Suarez and Danford Byrens, and composition with Joseph Basa, Eric Yuzon and Ronald Walcott. He was the accompanist of the Silliman University Church's (protestant) children's choir and on Saturday he helped with the Seventh Day Adventists Church. But during Lent he still got invited to direct the Holy Week's music at XU Chapel. After graduation in 1992, he went back to XU and worked as a Music Director of the Campus Chapel and taught music in Xavier University High School and College of Education. He was also the musical director of UCCP Lapasan Church and taught piano, voice and flute at Charles Abing Music Studio. In Sept, 1997, he was awarded the Loyola Foundation Scholarship and Kumahira Scholarship to study Masters in Music at Elisabeth _University of Music, Hiroshima, Japan. This school is the only music school in the world run by the Jesuits. He studied composition with Jo Kondo and Koji Tomotani, pipe organ with Tsugoto Hirosawa, voice with Yoichiro Uchida and orchestral conducting with Tomoki Wada. After graduation, he moved to Fukuoka and became the regular organist of the English Mass at the Fukuoka Cathedral.
Currently, he lives in Japan and teaches English and Music. |
The Harmonion
Is a type of organ. The sound is produced by pumping air into the pipes using the two pedals. The more keys you press the harder you have to pump. It was the most common keyboard in churches before the electronic organs.
Xavier University Chapel: Campus Chapel Aides
The Annual Liturgical Concert of the Xavier University Campus Chapel Aides in December 1985.
Silliman Univeristy
The Last Batch of Piano Students of Dr. Albert Faurot: from left, Clair Silorio, Casmelyn Quicoy, Dr. Faurot and Charles Abing
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Chennai India The New Indian Express August 28, 1999 p3 Right Below: Hiroshima, Japan Central Japan Newspaper (中国新聞) March 3, 2000 p2 Below: Fukuoka, Japan West Japan Newspaper (西日本新聞) p31 Sep. 29, 2004.  |
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