MANILA, Philipines - Why not a girls? choir?? asked a woman media practitioner. ?I was about to ask that during the open forum but wasn?t able to,? I observed. ?Then the Las Piñas Boys Choir started singing.?

I added undiplomatically, ?The experts say an all-male choir is the best.? There was no reaction from the two media women present. Dedma, as they say.

The occasion was a press conference at the Arzobispado de Manila in Intramuros to announce the 33rd International Bamboo Organ Festival at Las Piñas Church on Feb. 21-29, 8 p.m.

Thirty-three, and still counting!

This event, said to be unique in the world, continues to be an annual treat for lovers of classical organ, symphonic and vocal music, with one night off for ?less serious? music.

Things get off to a heady start with an invitational gala on Feb. 21, featuring Bach?s Cantata BWW 82 and Handel?s Organ Concerto Opus 4, Mendelssohn?s ?Laudate Pueri? and a newly discovered anonymous ?Misa de Sales? from Baclayón, Bohol, dated 1826.

The artists are French organist Ghislain Leroy, baritone Noel Azcona, the Las Piñas Boys Choir, choral director Armando Salarza and the Festival Orchestra under composer-conductor Chino Toledo.

If you?re not invited to this gala, don?t fret. It will be repeated Feb. 25 (?Organ and Voices?), with additional pieces for duo organ by Salarza and Rea Jimenez.

Day 2 (Feb. 22) showcases Leroy again (?An Evening of Organ Music?), who will be interpreting compositions by Aubertin, Bach, Buxtehude, Byrd, Couperin and Ximenez.

On Feb. 23, the Las Piñas Boys Choir will be presented in their first full concert in almost a decade, along with organist-composer Alejandro Consolacion II, the Las Piñas Men?s Choir and the Festival Strings under choirmaster Salarza.

The repertoire here promises to be eclectic, from highbrow stuff by Haydn to that novelty piece by our iconic Abelardo, ?Naku Kenkoy!?

Robert Seña and Isay Alvarez take center stage in ?Concert under the Trees? on Feb. 24. They will sing Broadway-West End favorites, movie themes and Filipino love songs, among other tunes.

The festival comes to a glorious close on Feb. 27 and 29 with Bach?s Double Organ Concerto in C Major and Puccini?s ?Messa di Gloria,? in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of the great Italian opera composer.

Performers are tenor Randy Gilongo, baritone Azcona, Coro Tomasino under tenor Ronan Ferrer, organists Johann Trummer of Austria and Salarza, and the Festival Orchestra under Toledo.