Pilár Manalo Danáo also known as Ka Pilár, Manang and PMD, was the eldest daughter of Felix Y. Manalo and the first Head Choir Director of the Iglesia Ni Cristo from 1942 until her death in 1987. She was instrumental in the creation of hymns for INC; she is the sole lyricist of the church’s Tagaloghymnal, Ang Himnario ng Iglesia ni Cristo. The hymnal originally contained 220 songs, and its first publication in 1937 bears her name and initials imprinted on hymnals and musical scores for the choir. Upon her death, Fausto Perez succeeded her as the Head Choir Director while Liberty Manalo-Albert took charge as the Coordinator of the choir to Executive MinisterEraño G. Manalo. Ramon C. Reyes and Gemma Manalo-de Guzman, daughter of current Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo, are the most recent to posts vacated by Perez and Albert.
Personal life
Pilár de Guzmán Manalo was born on March 10, 1914 in Punta Santa Ana, Manila, Rizal Province to Honorata de Guzmán and Felix Manalo regarded by the members of Iglesia ni Cristo as the Last Messenger of God in These Last Days, months before the beginning of the First World War coinciding with the registration of the Church to the Philippine Government. Her name given by her father literally means "pillar." Few months later, her father decided to move to Tipas, Taguig to teach his newfound doctrines to hometown neighbors where Pilar spent childhood with her younger sister. Pilar had five siblings named Avelina, Dominador, Salvador, Eraño, and Bienvenido. Eraño assumed INC leadership after their father's death in 1963. She married Artemio Montes Danao, a dentist.
Religious career
;Head Choir Director In 1942, Felix Manalo consolidated all choir units under the post, Head Choir Director of the INC given to her daughter, Pilar Manalo Danao. The post functions as overall head of the INC Music Department assigned on hymn line-ups for regular worship services and leading choristers, organists and all choir units. In the span of her leadership, she organized several classes for organists and for the choir. Among INC's primary choirs are the Tabernacle Choir, Sanctuary Choir, and Central Temple Choir. Other choir directors are disseminated in metro manila and provinces to oversee choirs from different local congregations. Some of the notable choir directors in Metro Manila are Ramon Reyes, Jose A. Mena Jr., Michael Solitario, Ligaya Garcia-Quinitio, Rogel Flores, Ed Pontillas, Nemerson Mariano, and Ireneo Del Rosario Jr. while in provinces are Ariel Del Rosario, Adrian Andres, Victor Aquino, Nenita Rosanes, Winnie Azarcon, Jimmy Cruz, Romeo Purificacion, Rendell Ronquillo, and Gerardo Roldan. To extend management of choirs, assistant choir directors are assigned since early 2019.
The ''Himnario''
Ang Himnario ng Iglesia ni Cristo is the official hymnbook of INC, written in Tagalog by Danao and published in 1937. The latest edition of the Himnario, published in 2016 with copyright, states: "Hymns underwent several changes from recent publications, by choir directors of the church, all of which were written by Sister Pilar Manalo Danao". Danao also composed several hymns for the Children's Worship Services. A separate hymnal for the CWS entitled Mga Awit Sa Pagsamba Ng Kabataan Ng IGLESIA NI CRISTO was first published in the year 1996 after they separated the CWS hymns from the "Ang Himnario ng IGLESIA NI CRISTO". While Danao's hymns were all originally written in Tagalog, these have since been translated into other languages such as English, Spanish and Japanese, for use at worship services and other functions of the Church locally and abroad.
Content
The 2016 edition of the Himnario has 314 pieces, excluding the Doxology and the Church's anthem, Ako'y Iglesia ni Cristo. Hymns fall under several categories, such as the following examples:
Danao also made Special Hymns for other church occasions and functions. These hymns were not specifically found in the hymnal but were performed by the choir, and were also updated in recent years. Doxology In the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Doxology is sung before the Benediction and Concluding Rites of the worship service. The original text reads: The revised text reads:
