Concierto Collegium MusicuM 2019

On May 28 th we had the privilege of being able to attend a new concert of Collegium Musicum and Camerata Sotogrande for the benefit of Concordia.
Every year in spring time, the people of Marbella and the Costa del Sol gather in the Parroquia de la Encarnación for this event which has become one of our most cherished traditions.
And as usual, the church filled to capacity and everybody´s expectation at the highest level: What delight of a programme will it be this time?

Let us say it straight away: the expectation was more than justified and the audience´s opinion at the end was unanimous: it would be almost impossible to top this concert!
A “complicated” programme, an impeccable performance and countless moments of great beauty.
Thank you so much, dear Collegium Musicum and Camerata Sotogrande, for your marvelous gift! Thank you so much to all those who made it happen:
Mrs. Delyth Bressington, president of Collegium Musicum, Mrs. Annemarie Philipps, its musical director, members of the choirs, the orchestra and the soloists – more than 20 nations coming together in a project they “have put heart and soul into”!
We are also grateful for the ever renewed support of the priest, Mr. José López Solórzano.

And heartfelt thanks go to the sponsors of this concert, Dr. and Mrs. Yusuf Hamied, for their valuable and much appreciated generosity.
The concert presented three main works with a common theme, the Christian faith:
The Credo RV 591 by the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, the only setting of his Nicene Creed, draws upon the Roman catholic tradition.
Herr, unser Herrscher BWV 245 (the opening chorus of the St. John Passion, 1724), represents the German Lutheran branch.
It goes back to the ancient Good Friday tradition of reciting the Passion story in Latin to unaccompanied plainchant which developed at the end of the 17 th century into the oratorio-Passion.

The Fanfare for the Common Man has been composed by Aaron Copland in 1942, inspired by a speech made by Henry A. Wallace, vice president of the United States.
The final climax of the concert came with the Stabat Mater of Sir Karl Jenkins, the most popular British composer of our time. He stands for the Welsh non-conformism current.
This was the first performance of his setting of Stabat Mater on the Costa del Sol. It is based on a powerful 13 th century Roman catholic poem focusing on the suffering of Jesus’ mother at the sight of his crucifixion and which has been set to music by composers like Haydn, Dvorak, Vivaldi or Pergolesi.
In this setting there are 12 movements, 6 of them being texts in various languages expressing how the grief of the mother over her child’s death transcends races and religions.

Those who were lucky enough to attend the concert will certainly remember for a long time the most beautiful and moving performance of the soloist Bev Lee Harling.
Marbella and the Costa del Sol enjoyed once again a magnificent musical event thanks to her great contribution and the mastery and dedication of the members of Collegium Musicum and Camerata Sotogrande.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!!