For the second consecutive year and at the Cultural Center, the orchestra will offer a New Year's Concert
Union Musical announces its XLI Cultural Music Conference in honor of Santa Cecilia
Benidorm Musical Union (UMB) will celebrate, starting tomorrow, the forty-first edition of its Music-Cultural Days in honor of Santa Cecilia. This has announced today by the Councilor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez, at a press conference together with the entity's president and vice-president, Mª Carmen García and Vicenta Orquín.
Of the three musical societies in the city, the Musical Union is "our oldest band", Pérez pointed out, an entity that has turned 96 years old and that "soon will begin preparations for its centenary, which we look forward to with great enthusiasm".
Among the planned events, the mayor of Culture placed special emphasis on the presentation of the book 'My 30 years as director of the Benidorm Musical Union', by Rafael Domenech Pardo, on Friday, December 2, coinciding "with his eightieth birthday". Jaime Jesús Pérez has recalled, as recently announced by the mayor, Toni Pérez, that the auditorium of the Cultural Center will bear the name of the author of 'Fiesta en Benidorm', the official anthem of Festes Majors Patronals.
The Councilor for Culture also highly valued the programming for the second consecutive year of the 'New Year's Concert' at the Cultural Center "which allows -he stressed- music lovers to enjoy the concert of the Vienna Philharmonic on television ” and repeat in the afternoon with the Musical Union in a “new offer that we want to consolidate in Benidorm”.
For her part, the president of the Musical Union, Mª Carmen García, has announced that the acts of the XLI Music-Cultural Conference will begin tomorrow, Friday, at 7:00 p.m. with the solidarity collection of food for the Red Cross. Also in November, the Assembly Hall of the City Council will host on Sunday 27 the 'Concert of the XV anniversary of the UMB Orchestra', also at 7:00 p.m.
December, the president continued, will host the presentation of Domenech Pardo's book on the 2nd, in the Town Hall Assembly Hall, at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday 3, at the Parish Church of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna and at the same time, the concert of the Brass Band of the UMB will take place. On Friday, December 16, at the entity's headquarters, the colloquium 'Caminant cap al centenari: passat, present i futur de la Unió Musical de Benidorm' will be held, in which musicians, directors, partners, and music lovers will take part.
Mª Carmen García has abounded that the "most intense day" will be Saturday, December 17, dedicated to Santa Cecilia, patron saint of music. At 3:45 p.m. there will be a parade by the Symphonic Band; at 5:00 p.m., a mass in honor of the saint sung by the UMB Choir; at 7:00 p.m. the Extraordinary Concert will be held at the Cultural Center. The day will end with the traditional 'dinner', at 10:30 p.m. at UMB headquarters.
The Music-Cultural Days will continue on Thursday, December 22, said García, with the 'Christmas Concert', in the church of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna, at 8:00 p.m. On Friday 23, the students of the UMB School, at 11:00 in the morning, will hold a parade to congratulate Christmas and "collect the traditional Christmas bonus". The last of the events scheduled for this edition will be the first of January, with the 'II New Year's Concert', at 7:00 p.m., at the Cultural Center.
Mª Carmen García has clarified that the Musical Union has "more than 129 federated musicians", that in the Santa Cecilia concert "more than 80 will take part on the stage" and the entity brings together "more than a thousand members".
Finally, Vicenta Orquín has indicated that during the month of December the auditions of the instruments of the orchestra, flute, saxophone, violin, viola, and percussion will take place. "All the instruments -she said- that make up a symphonic band and an orchestra" and she expressed hope that "all the people of Benidorm" participate in the activities of the XLI Music-Cultural Conference.