XIII Cycle 'Province Bands at ADDA'. Societat Musical Cultural d'Alcoleja
75 Years of the Band
Program:
JUAN TORREGROSA i SEVILA. EMILIA MARTÍN – pasodoble – approx. 5 minutes.
Emilia Martín was the sister of the founder of Alcoleja’s band, the village priest Don Miguel Ángel Martín i Penalba. Juan Torregrosa maintained a close friendship with him, prompting the composer to dedicate a pasodoble to his sister. This pasodoble has been part of the society’s musical journey, performed in numerous concerts both within and beyond Alcoleja’s municipal boundaries.
MIGUEL PICÓ i BIOSCA. ALCOLECHA – pasodoble – approx. 5 minutes.
Miguel Picó i Biosca was the band’s second conductor. Out of deep affection for the town and its people, he dedicated a pasodoble—“Alcolecha”—to them. This piece has become an emblem of the association, especially performed during parades, such as the 50th anniversary celebration of the Valencian Federation of Musical Societies (FSMCV) along Valencia’s Micer Mascó street on 26 May 2018.
Manuel Penella Moreno (Valencia, 1881 – Mexico, 1939). *Valencian Rhapsody* – 5’30”
Composed in 1918.
FRANCISCO CARCHANO i MOLTÓ. RAMÓN PETIT – Christian march – 3’30”
Francisco Carchano, deeply rooted in Alcoleja, co-founded the Societat Musical Cultural d’Alcoleja in the 1990s after a period of decline. He trained the village’s youth in solfège and instrumental playing. As the band’s third conductor, he collaborated with Ramón Petit to compose this Christian march, dedicated to Don Ramón Vilaplana—the Christian captain of the Almogàvars parade group from Ibi in 1993. It has become a landmark of festive music in the region and a true anthem for the Moors and Christians festivals.
Leopold Magenti Chelvi (Alberic, 1894 – Valencia, 1969). *Mediterranean Sketches* – 25’10”
Composed in 1956.
TOMÁS OLCINA i RIBES. PRESIDENT LLINARES – pasodoble – approx. 5 minutes.
José Antonio Llinares i Igual succeeded Francisco Carchano in 2007. His father, Antonio Llinares i Llinares—who served as president of the Nova Musical Society of Alcoi and musical advisor to the Sant Jordi Association—was also a member of Alcoleja’s band, holding it in great esteem. Tomás Olcina i Ribes, native of Gorga, composed this pasodoble in tribute to their friendship.
José Calixto Serrano Simeón (Sueca, 1873 – Madrid, 1941). *Prince Carnival* – 12’15”
Composed in 1914.
DANI IBORRA PELLÍN. *75 YEARS OF THE BAND* – pasodoble – approx. 6 minutes.
A wind band is far more than the sum of its instruments—it is, above all, the people who breathe life into them. “75 Years of the Band” is a tribute to every musician who, after their daily routines, picked up their instrument and climbed to the Patronat hall to rehearse—note by note—the works that would later bring joy to Alcoleja’s residents.
This pasodoble honors those musicians, their teachers, and everyone who has ever applauded them—sharing the festivity, fellowship, and deep sense of belonging to our shared hometown: Alcoleja.
Through “75 Years of the Band,” we journey across a sonic landscape beginning with motifs from the *Hymn to Saint Vincent Ferrer*, composed in the 1930s by José Maria Zaragoza i Barber—priest and teacher of Alcoleja, affectionately known to our grandparents as “El Retoret Vellet.” The introduction continues with variations on the *Canto de l’Aurora* (“Song of the Dawn”), adapted to the joyful, festive spirit of the pasodoble.
Since no journey through Alcoleja’s music could omit its folk songs, the piece evokes our communal voices singing boldly in the town square: “And this I say here—in Penàguila and Benasau”—the local adaptation of Antonio Molina’s “Como en España ni hablar.”
Our final stop recalls the *Gozos a San Vicente Ferrer*, arguably the most beautiful piece in Alcoleja’s musical repertoire, which forms the basis of the pasodoble’s concluding section—the “trio.” Only its harmony is used symbolically; far more recognizable are the reappearing motifs of the *Canto de l’Aurora*, now heard in the countermelody.
Along our musical route, we have passed through the town square, church, Patronat hall, and Alcoleja’s streets. At journey’s end, we wish that every note of this pasodoble conveys joy, celebration, and fellowship to all Alcolejanos—and above all, express our deepest gratitude to the musicians who have formed, continue to form, and will forever form our beloved band: the Societat Musical Cultural d’Alcoleja.
Reserve your tickets by emailing your full name and number of attendees to: taquilla.adda@diputacionalicante.es
· Limited capacity: max. 4 tickets per person. Tickets will be confirmed and distributed the week before the concert.
· Doors open one hour prior to the concert.