XIII Cycle 'Provincial Bands at the ADDA Theatre'. Alcoleja Musical and Cultural Society
75 Years of the Band
Programme:
JUAN TORREGROSA i SEVILA. EMILIA MARTÍN – pasodoble, ~5 minutes.
Emilia Martín was the sister of the founder of the Alcoleja 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 Emilia. It has been part of the society’s musical legacy, performed in numerous concerts both within and beyond 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 dedicated this pasodoble—“Alcolecha”—to them. It has become an emblem of the association, especially during parades, including the 50th anniversary celebration of the Valencian Federation of Musical Societies (FSMCV) on 26 May 2018 along Valencia’s Micer Mascó Street.
MANUEL PENELLA MORENO (Valencia, 1881 – Mexico, 1939). VALENCIAN RAPSODY – 5’30”
Composed in 1918.
FRANCISCO CARCHANO i MOLTÓ. RAMÓN PETIT – Christian march, 3’30”
Francisco Carchano, deeply rooted in Alcoleja, co-founded the Alcoleja Musical and Cultural Society in the 1990s after years of decline. He taught local youth solfège and instrumental performance. As the band’s third conductor—and alongside Ramón Petit—he composed this Christian march honouring Don Ramón Vilaplana, Christian captain of the Almogàvars Comparsa of Ibi (1993). It became a benchmark of festive music in the region and a true anthem of 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, ~5 minutes.
José Antonio Llinares i Igual succeeded Francisco Carchano as conductor 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 the Alcoleja 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). 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—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 for rehearsals—note by note—to prepare works later enjoyed by Alcoleja’s residents.
This pasodoble honours all those musicians, as well as their teachers and everyone who ever applauded them—sharing the joy of festivity, fellowship, and the profound sense of belonging to our shared hometown: Alcoleja.
Through “75 Years of the Band”, we journey across a sonic landscape beginning with themes from the Hymn to Saint Vincent Ferrer, composed in the 1930s by José María Zaragoza i Barber—priest and teacher of Alcoleja, fondly known to our grandparents as “El Retoret Vellet”. The introduction continues with variations on the “Canto de l’Aurora”, adapted to the cheerful, festive spirit of the pasodoble.
Our musical journey through Alcoleja demanded inclusion of folk songs—so we evoke the voices echoing in the town square, singing boldly: “And this I declare here, in Penàguila and Benasau”—the Alcoleja adaptation of Antonio Molina’s “Como en España ni hablar” (“Not Even in Spain”).
Our final stop is the “Gozos a San Vicente Ferrer”, arguably the most beautiful piece in Alcoleja’s musical repertoire—and the foundation of the pasodoble’s concluding section, known to musicians as the “trio”. Only its harmony is used symbolically; far more recognizable are the notes of “l’Aurora”, now heard in counter-melody.
Along our path, we passed through the town square, church, Patronat, and streets of Alcoleja. At journey’s end, we simply wish that each note of this pasodoble conveys joy, festivity, and fellowship to all Alcolejans—and above all, express deepest gratitude to the musicians who formed the band in the past, sustain it today, and will carry it forward tomorrow: our beloved Alcoleja Musical and Cultural Society.
Reserve your tickets by emailing your full name and the number of attendees to: taquilla.adda@diputacionalicante.es
· Limited capacity: maximum 4 tickets per person. Tickets will be confirmed and distributed the week before the concert.
· Doors open one hour prior to the concert.