Thirty-five bands feature in this edition, starting Sunday with the Tenerife Band Federation's own ensemble
A dozen concerts comprise this edition of the ‘Primavera Musical’ cycle (Musical Spring Cycle), which starts this Sunday, March 15, at the Auditorio de Tenerife, concluding on June 21. All events will take place at 11:30 a.m. in the Chamber Hall. Details were provided by the Tenerife Island Council First Vice President Lope Afonso and Councillor for Cultural Affairs José Carlos Acha, along with Tenerife Band Federation President Juan Antonio Rancel.
Lope Afonso explained that the federation is a ‘valuable, high-quality asset for Tenerife, featuring music from all over the island’. He thanked the federation for ‘keeping the spirit of associations alive, because promoting and organising all this activity is commendable” and he insisted that ‘in our municipal schools of music, many lifelong pursuits are born that continue in bands and may even become career paths, contributing to Canarian music’. He concluded, ‘Not only do the bands show their dedication, but citizens and visitors come together Sunday after Sunday in the auditorium, reflecting our island’s musical passion’.
José Carlos Acha encouraged islanders ‘to join the Primavera Musical programme and spend Sunday mornings in the auditorium enjoying free concerts spanning a wide range of music’. He praised the island’s ‘important band tradition, providing rich musical offerings since the 19th century to today, with training and concerts”. The councillor continued: ‘In addition to the renewal of the agreement with the Auditorio de Tenerife for the staging of Primavera Musical, the federation’s activity is subsidised by the Tenerife Island Council, and the Island Board of Music provides the headquarters of the Sinfónica de Tenerife for the federation’s Saturday rehearsals, which has solved one of its biggest problems”.
Juan Antonio Rancel pointed out that ‘our activity could never exist without the unconditional support of the Tenerife Island Council. It’s very important for each federated band to feel it has a place in the offerings of the Auditorio de Tenerife, where it can show what it has been doing each year”, explained Rancel, who acknowledged that ‘there are more and more bands and musicians, the total standing now at over 1,600 musicians of 35 ensembles’. After speaking about synergies harnessed in recent years, he said that ‘the band Patronato Insular de El Hierro is to perform during the closing ceremony on 21 June’. In conclusion, he said, ‘The support of the council through these concerts is a reward for the efforts of our board, its directors and our musicians”.
Primavera Musical is one of the initiatives through which the Tenerife Island Council collaborates with the wind bands federation ‘Federación Tinerfeña de Bandas’. The first edition was launched in 2005, and over 4,500 spectators attended the concerts offered during last year’s edition.
Tenerife Band Federation’s own band is to be featured at the opening ceremony. Led by conductor Miguel Ángel Arrocha, it is to perform a programme titled Raíces sonoras: de la tierra al mito, with works of José Suñer-Oriola and of the Tenerife-born composer José Manuel Encinoso.
This edition is to include the interpretation of 95 works, the first being Images, by Suñer-Oriola. The result of a commission undertaken by the composer, it premiered at the Kerkrade festival (the Netherlands). The next work will be Manrique, composed by Tenerife native Encinoso, which was awarded second prize at the band composition contest of Gran Canaria Wind Orchestra. The opening ceremony is to conclude with Suñer-Oriola’s El jardín de Hera, which is based on Greek mythology.
The wind bands performing in the concerts scheduled for March are: Las Candelas, Crearte of Tejina and San Pedro (El Sauzal). In April, the following bands will take part: Santa Cecilia (Tacoronte), Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Buenavista), Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (Valle de Guerra, La Laguna), Nivaria (Arafo), San Sebastián (Tejina, La Laguna), Arona, Cruz Santa (Los Realejos), Princesa Yaiza (El Rosario) and Alcaraván (San Juan de la Rambla).
In May, twelve ensembles will perform: Ernesto Beteta (Santa Úrsula), La Victoria de Acentejo, Fasnia, La Esperanza (La Guancha), Unión y Amistad (Santa Cruz), San Marcos (Tegueste), Virgen de la Luz (Guía de Isora), Garachico and Santiago del Teide. Primavera Musical concludes in June, when the Chamber Hall will host Orotava, XIX de marzo (San Juan de la Rambla), Puerto de la Cruz, Amigos del Arte (Güímar), Santísimo Cristo de El Calvario (El Tanque), Amigos del Arte (San Andrés, Santa Cruz), La Candelaria (Arafo), Filarmónica of Los Realejos, El Salvador (La Matanza), with the Banda del Patronato Insular de El Hierro (the Island Council Band of El Hierro) performing as guest ensemble.