Once before I had an experience where I was in a Cathedral and it seemed like I was in heaven. It was Notre Dame in Paris, and Palm Sunday; I was standing opposite the rose window and the light was streaming in, and the organ was playing......
Well yesterday evening it seemed like I was in heaven again. The Coro Sinfonico de La Rioja were performaing at 8pm in the church in Navarrete. This church has been enough to convince me I must forget my prejudices about Baroque architecture! The whole front around the altar has been restored, and the gold colour is absolutely gleaming, and all the statues have been cleaned to reveal beautiful decoration and colours.
It was Mass at 8pm and the choir sang seven different sacred songs during the Mass. When they began the entrance song, Gloria Laus (J Prieto), I was transported into a different place. Their voices were strong and powerful and the acoustics in the church were superb. There were many men in the choir, unlike at home. With the sounds reverberating around the church, and the gleaming altar to regard, I felt like I was in heaven. L and D were there and felt the same. After Mass they sang eight more songs, shifting their staging up the front. It was a wonderful wonderful concert and I feel so blessed to have heard it.
As a member of the "Coro Sinfónico de La Rioja" I must thank you in the name of the whole choir for your kind words (It's certainly a very nice review for a 1-year-old choir). I'm glad you enjoyed it. It would be nice if we met again in your next trip to Spain, or in our next tour around Australia (just kidding :D, no such luck I'm afraid). Anyways, thanks again and I hope we'll met again in the future.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your wanderings.
Best regards,
Gonzalo from Logroño
"...and I hope we'll meet again". Sorry for the misprint.
ReplyDeleteHi Gonzalo! I must say I never thought anyone from the choir would actually get to read my English words, but I am glad that you did. Your concert is one of my treasured memories of my time walking the Camino.
ReplyDeleteI am now home in New Zealand... and trying hard to recover from the jetlag that still has me in its clutches. My time as a pilgrim, spending so much time in the countryside, was very precious.
Hello. I am the soloist that sung Stabat Matter in Navarrete. Thank-you very much for your coment. I must tell you I´ve been twice in New Zealand, and looking at the pics of your blog I remember many of the wonderfull places I visit there. Tell you that I hope to go again to NZ, for me paradise in Earth. It was a pitty you didn´t introduce yourself in NAvarrete. I love to share moments with Kiwis.
ReplyDeleteLove, Regards.
Hi anon... Yes I think I live in a very beautiful country as well!
ReplyDeleteI don't speak much in the way of Spanish... I think I left quietly by the door as soon as the concert was over!
Margaret