Join Us for Festival de Música Española

Winter 2020 Concert Poster

Join the Concord Band 8pm, Saturday, March 7th at 51 Walden St. to celebrate music with a Latin flare! The concert with the theme “Festival de Música Española” will be a fantastic musical voyage to Southern Spain and Andalusia—the mountains of Peru and folk music of the ancient Incas—the fiery dances of Brazil and Cuba—Mexico’s matador marches and wedding dances—and Argentinian street dance. And it will feature the world premiere of Fantasia Latina by Terry White, a new commission sponsored by Concord Band percussionist Neil Tischler.

La Mezquita de Córdoba by Julia Giroux awesomely depicts the mosque (La Mezquita) of the tenth century the city of Córdoba, which was recognized as the most sophisticated city in Europe, treating Christians and Jews with tolerance. Rulers also improved trade and agriculture, patronized the arts, and made valuable contributions to science. According to Giroux’s notes in the score, the grandeur of La Mezquita and its colorful political and religious history has earned it its place as a true wonder of the civilized world.

Carmen Suite is a setting of selected movements from Carmen Suites 1 and 2 transcribed for winds by Lewis J. Buckley. The four-act French opera stunned first-time audiences with its bold story and subject matter, and was highly controversial.

Volver a la Montaña (Return to the Mountain) is the second movement of the four-movement suite and is based on several folk tunes of the Quechua ("Inca") people. The movement opens with a stately processional, followed by a fast dance that uses the characteristic Latin American alternation or simultaneous appearance of two- and three-beat patterns.

Composer Terry White describes Fantasia Latina being based on four Latin dance styles: Tango, Danzon, Songo and Samba. The extended introduction is intended to introduce idiomatic rhythms and motives that are common to the various styles and evolves with unexpected rhythmic and harmonic twists intended to keep the performer and listener from settling into a "groove." Terry White will conduct the premiere.

Amparito Roca and El Relicario are two of the band world’s most popular paso dobles (two-step) marches fashioned around the Spanish bullfight and dramatic entry of the matador and participants. Its Latin flavor is full of colorful Spanish flourish.

A traditional huapango song, La Bamba De Vera Cruz (La Bamba for short) is often played during wed-dings in Veracruz, where the bride and groom perform the accompanying dance. The footwork, called zapateado, builds to a frenzy as the music tempo accelerates to a climactic conclusion.

Guest ensemble Area 9 Saxophone Quartet will make a special appearance performing the Fandango and Choro y Tango movements from Saxophone Quartet (1977) by Spanish composer Aldemaro Romero. The Concord Band's Secretary and alto sax player John Rabinowitz and our baritone saxophone player Kangyi Liu are quartet members.