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Professor at the College of Lekaroz, an important center of Basque musical nationalism The College of Lekaroz, a village in the Baztan Valley (Spain), was an active place for music, especially for religious works. It had its own orchestra, made up of teachers and students, which played repertoire by several composers: Miguel Hilarión Eslava (1807–1878), Garcia, Valentin Zubiaurre (1837–1914), Hernández, Théodore Dubois (1837–1924), Charles Gounod (1818–1893), Felipe Gorriti (1839–1896), Saverio Mercadante (1795–1870), Eduardo Mocoroa (1867–1959), Trueba, and Adolfo Zabala (1841–1869), among others. In 1908, after Father Donostia had already been ordained a priest, the style of the musical activity at the school changed radically. Father Donostia began to devote himself to the study of Basque folklore 15 , and devoted himself to collect- ing songs from village to village. In 1911, he began his work to harmonise these popular melodies. In 1912, a series of Basque Preludes for piano appeared, and in 1913, he arranged a number of Basque popular melodies for choir. Basque cultural movements took note of this musical activity, which resulted in a greater appreciation of Father Donostia on the part of these movements and, over all, the Basque Nationalist Party, for which he organ- ised a tribute in 1918. In the decade of 1910, Father Hilario regularly offered the melodies he had collected to other composers in order to better cultivate Basque music. His fre- quent trips to Paris from 1920 onward served to discuss the evolution of this music. His attendance at concerts in the French capital always resulted in his own analysis and annotations. In Lekaroz, Father Donostia received visits from many Basque composers, including Luis Urteaga, Victor Zubizarreta, John Telleria, Joaquín Larregla, José Izurrategui, José Uruñuela, José Olaizola, and Santiago Bengoechea, among others, who showed him their works and asked for his opinion 16 . The most important visit was from Maurice Ravel, which took place on 23 August 1927. In addition, they were joined by Xabier Zubiri, Asin y Palacios, Imaz, Losemboure, Marquis de Caviedes, Count of Casa Miranda, and Urcola. Ravel played the piano Sonatina and Father Donostia, Herrimiña and Gure Herria . Father Donostia was the first in Lecaroz to collect music by earlier Basque composers, including the chapel master of Calahorra, Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Tudela, and others, with special attention to Juan de Anchieta, Basque harpsichordists, and Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, in addition to other composers of his time. On his part, Father Hilario replaced Father Donostia in the management of the piano and harmonium students. He started in November 1918, when Father Donostia moved to Madrid, where he resided during the winter and the following spring. Father Hilario enjoyed some fame as a composer and great prestige as a pianist–organist 17 . He lived for eighteen years in Lekaroz with Father Donostia, and together they formed a duo, as inter- preters of music for piano, four hands or for two pianos. Sometimes, they performed chamber music, with Father Donostia on violin, accompanied by Father Hilario on piano, but also in trios, with the flutist Father José de Lesaka (José Echaide Echegoyen). For some years, he also performed chamber music with Father Tomás de Elduayen 44 FONTES AR T I S MUS I CAE 6 6 / 1 15. El nacionalismo musical, http://www.monografias.com/trabajos6/namu/namu.shtml, accessed 27 December 2018; see also José Luis Ansorena, Aita Donostia (Donostia: Kutxa Fundazioa, 1999). 16. José Luis Ansorena, “El Padre Hilario Olazarán de Estella en la cresta del nacionalismo musical vasco”, Revista Txistulari 159 (1994): 2–10 17. Aniceto Olano Galarraga 1896–1966 (a) Fray Miguel de Alzo, http://www.filosofia.org/ave/clerigos .htm#OFMCap, accessed 27 December 2018.