The act was centered by two formations, those of Sanxenxo and Unión Musical de Meaño, which were supported by a third group, which was the Banda Xove de Meaño, a fusion of the Infantile and the Xuvenil of the Municipal School of Music that was conceived to get out of trouble and thus complete the three-band format customary at this festival.
The contest began with the traditional presentation parade with a parade in front of the consistory. Once in the plaza, the start of the concerts corresponded to the Banda Xove de Meaño, under the baton of Diego Javier Lorente, also director of the BUMM, who offered a repertoire of short pieces, suitable for young instrumentalists.
Effects of COVID
A native of Merza, José Varela Pardo, director of the Sanxenxo band, recognized that COVID had weighed down many groups. “The exchange we had with a band from Tenerife frustrated us, and it was going to be a great experience.” “Now, it has only been a month since we started to recover the tests, but we are not yet complete because some families still do not dare to send their children for fear of COVID, and also the summer makes many work in hospitality, reason for which we arrive somewhat short of repertoire ”, he adds.
The Sanxenxo Band opened the concert with the pasodoble “Santiago Mestre” by Óscar Navarro, which was followed by “Elisabeth” by Johan de Meij, “Rapunzel” by Bert Appermont, the middle and end of “Leyenda del Beso” (Soutullo and Vert) and “Campo de Noia” by Manuel Molinos, the latter two the most ambitious on stage.
Then, at the stroke of 9:15 p.m., it was the turn of the BUMM Meañesa concert. It opened with the pasodoble “Gloria Ramírez” by Rafael Tallens and, as a more demanding work, he performed the “Symphony No. 1” by the Dutch Johan de Meij, from the saga of “The Lord of the Rings”, offering the parts “Gandalf”, “Gollum” and “Hobbits”, a work that was the one that raised the greatest admiration from the public. His concert ended with “El camino real” by Alfred Reed “.
The tribute
At its end, the president of the Meañesa association, Olga Pérez, took stock of the festival. “For us it was a pride to be able to carry it out in such a complicated year, with full satisfaction for everyone’s work, and for the public who responded even better than expected by filling in the capacity”. “In addition – Olga Pérez added – it was a particularly emotional edition with the tribute felt to the previous board of directors, who worked hard and well for so long.”
And it is that, after the concerts and the formal shift for the authorities, The organization surprised with the gesture of bringing its president Óscar Rial to the stage, as well as his former directors, who governed the band in a successful decade with awards in Holland, Italy and in the Galician Bands Certame. They were honored with the delivery of a photographic souvenir of the triumph in Kerkrade, which they received from their own children, most of them still current BUMM musicians, to the applause of the public. An emotional gesture that brought more than one tear to the protagonists.
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