Program notes
Virgen de los Remedios describes an episode in the history of Seron; after a long Arab domination, Christian troops commanded by D. Juan de Austria burst brutally assaulting the main fortress. The village of Seron becomes thus, in a firm, clear and decisive step for for the conquest of the peninsula.
Not everything changed suddenly, as you can imagine. People followed retaining many of their habits that existed under the previous Arab domination. Arab and Christian cultures merged in many things resulting a rich culture. In musical terms the influences of Arab culture became noticeable in some of the Christian music compositions of this time and Javier wanted to retake these influences for not remaining in the saddest oblivion.
Music, like everything else, was evolving while time was passing and its emotion has survived to this day. It's for this reason that, in the final trio of the march, its music style turns into a Spanish twentieth century funeral and processional march music languages. For this reason the final trio represents the most humble approach to the current view of the Virgin from Seron.
Thus, the march suffers a historical evolution from the Arab empire to nowdays, showing us the darkness of the battlefield and the light of the earliest pilgrimages, the opening of Seron's church at the sixteenth century and the image of Seron's Los Remedios Virgin.
Publisher
Contact composer:
Premiere
August 14th, 2004
Plaza Nuestra Señora de los Remedios from Serón (Almería)
Banda de la Asociación Musical “El Castillo” de Serón / Antonio Jiménez, conductor
Dedication
Los Remedios Virgin
