XIII Cycle 'Provincial Bands at ADDA'. Societat Musical Cultural d'Alcoleja
75 Years of the Band
Program:
JUAN TORREGROSA i SEVILA. EMILIA MARTÍN — pasodoble — ~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 this pasodoble to his sister. This piece has been part of the society’s musical trajectory, performed in numerous concerts both within and outside Alcoleja’s municipal boundaries.
MIGUEL PICÓ i BIOSCA. ALCOLECHA — pasodoble — ~5 minutes.
Miguel Picó i Biosca was the band’s second conductor. Out of deep affection for the town and its people, he composed the pasodoble *Alcolecha*. It has become an emblem of the association — especially performed in parades, including the 50th anniversary celebration of the Federation of Valencian Musical Societies (FSMCV) on 26 May 2018 along Micer Mascó Street in Valencia.
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 connected to 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 performance. As the band’s third conductor — alongside Ramón Petit — he composed this Christian march dedicated to Don Ramón Vilaplana, captain of the Christian group *Almogàvars* from Ibi (1993). It has become a landmark of festive music in the region and a true anthem of the Moors and Christians festivals.
LEOPOLD MAGENTI CHELVI (Alberic, 1894 – Valencia, 1969). MEDITERRANEAN ETCHINGS — 25′10″
Composed in 1956.
TOMÁS OLCINA i RIBES. PRESIDENT LLINARES — pasodoble — ~5 minutes.
José Antonio Llinares i Igual succeeded Francisco Carchano as conductor in 2007. His father, Antonio Llinares i Llinares — 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 and affection. Tomás Olcina i Ribes, native of Gorga, dedicated this pasodoble to him in friendship.
JOSÉ CALIXTO SERRANO SIMEÓN (Sueca, 1873 – Madrid, 1941). *THE PRINCE OF CARNAVAL* — 12′15″
Composed in 1914.
DANI IBORRA PELLÍN. *75 YEARS OF THE BAND* — pasodoble — ~6 minutes.
A wind band is far more than the sum of its instruments — above all, it is the people who bring them to life. “75 Years of the Band” is a tribute to every musician who, after their daily routine, picked up their instrument and climbed to the *Patronat* to rehearse — note by note — pieces later enjoyed by Alcoleja’s residents.
This pasodoble honours all those musicians, their teachers, and everyone who ever applauded them — sharing the joy of festivity, fellowship, and belonging to our shared hometown: Alcoleja.
Through “75 Years of the Band”, we traverse a sonic landscape beginning with motifs from the *Hymn to Saint Vincent Ferrer*, composed in the 1930s by José María 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 character of the pasodoble.
Our musical journey through Alcoleja demanded inclusion of popular songs — thus evoking our voices singing loudly in the plaza: “And this I say here, in Penàguila and Benasau”, the local adaptation of Antonio Molina’s famous song *Como en España ni hablar*.
The final stop on our journey is the *Gozos* (hymns) to Saint Vincent Ferrer — arguably the most beautiful piece in Alcoleja’s musical repertoire — upon which the pasodoble’s concluding section (“the trio”) is based. Yet only its harmony is used symbolically; the instantly recognizable *Canto de l’Aurora* returns, now heard in counterpoint.
Along our path, we passed through the plaza, the church, the *Patronat*, and Alcoleja’s streets. Arriving at the end, we wish that each note of this pasodoble conveys joy, festivity, and fellowship to all Alcolejans — and, above all, extend our deepest gratitude to the musicians who were part of the band in the past, are part of it today, and will be part of it in the future: our beloved *Societat Musical Cultural d’Alcoleja*.
Reserve your tickets by sending an email with your full name and number of attendees to: taquilla.adda@diputacionalicante.es
· Limited capacity: maximum 4 tickets per person. Tickets will be confirmed and distributed starting one week before the concert.
· Doors open one hour prior to the concert.