PROGRAMME

A town’s festa major embodies the spirit of its people; it is a moment when we welcome others and share what we have and who we are. In this concert to mark the 2023 Mercè celebrations, the Barcelona Symphonic Band will be performing a number of works with a celebratory feel. The first is Fiesta, a symphonic dance composed by Clifton Williams for the 25th anniversary of the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra (Texas). We will be celebrating the centenary of the birth of this influential twentieth-century composer, conductor and teacher, who wrote many notable works for concert band. From Japan we have two contrasting approaches to celebratory music: Shin-Itchiro Yokoyama presents a portrait in sound of the Matsuri festivals, which provide a striking contrast to normal life in Japan, while Satoshi Yagisawa’s work, inspired by Gaudí’s immortal monument, pays tribute to the magnificent bells of the Sagrada Família. Two sardanes, Al capvespre (At Sunset) by Alcoy-born composer Vicente Costa, who taught at the Liceu Conservatory, and Sol ixent (Sunrise)by Eduard Toldrà, remind us we can dance and enjoy each other’s company at any time,  evening or morning.