ARS NOVA PRESENTS CHORAL FESTIVAL THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday 27th April at 8.30pm inside the historic church of San Bartolomé, the 12th edition of the ARS NOVA Choral Festival will be taking place, part of the ‘Encuentros 2024’ campaign promoted by the Federation of Choirs of the Comunidad Valenciana. Admission is free and the evening will feature Xàbia’s own Grup Polifònic Ars Nova de Xàbia as well as two other choral groups, Coral Ars Armonium d’Oriola and the youth group Cor Carmesina de Gandía.

Coral Ars Armonium d’Oriola was created in 2015 when a group of singers met to recover and record the operetta “Los Pastores de Belén” by Federico Rogel. Since then, the group has become part of the ACAMDO Cultural Association, performing a wide and varied repertoire whilst committing to a musical legacy and tradition which has led them to perform in large venues such as the Palau de les Arts de València and the ADDA de Alicante. In 2018, the choir won second prize in the VII Choral Contest of Sacred Music in Redován. Its director is Susanna Vardanyan, a lyrical singer and choral director born in Armenia with an extensive musical career. The choir will be performing number 1 and 2 of the Stabat Mater by Josef Rheinberger, ‘O Crux’ by Ginés Pérez de la Parra and ‘Ave Verum’ by Karl Jenkins.

The Coro Carmesina de Gandía was created as a common project by Pilar Gimenez and Vicent Cogollos to create a meeting place for young people, a cultural alternative based on singing. Although it started to develop in September 2018, it was officially presented in January 2020 at a charity concert. Since then, its members learn to listen, sing in different voices, become aware of their body and breathing, and of course, know the values of belonging to a collective. The group will perform of the soundtrack of ‘Les Choristes’, ‘Madre’ by Marco Ferretti and ‘Ave Maria’ by Perosi.

The concert will close with Ars Nova, led by its teacher, Rubén Penadés, who will present a repertoire under the title “Miremos al Mundo”. It is religious music, but it revolves around celebration in life. It will include some fragments of the ‘Requiem’ by John Rutter, a composer who captures in his music his belief in a better world. Other pieces by Rutter will also be performed – ‘As the bridegroom to his chosen’ and ‘Look at the World’ – two pieces talk about life, love and appreciating what you have. This music invites the listener to reflect, to put aside the hatred, selfishness and envy that often flood our present, to give true importance to enjoying the little things, to value what surrounds us, to love and be loved.

Petit Ars – Tuesday 30th April, 7.30pm

Petit Ars, the group’s children’s choir, will be performing on Tuesday, April 30 at 7.30pm in the Plaza de la Constitución in Xàbia in the Charity Concert organized by the Commission of Festivities in honor of Jesús Nazareno. The youngsters will be singing with the Youth Band of the Centro Artístico Musical de Xàbia. The concert will take us on a tour of the world through music, and both groups will perform ‘Un Conte Enredat’, a pedagogical work by maestro Alborch. The proceeds will go to Aspanion Niños con Cáncer.