Magic of the lights
International choirs and audience sing together at the Gala Concert "Music and Light"
It is Friday evening in Calella. The sun has gone down and it gets calm on the streets. But one place is still full of life: the Eglesia Santa Maria i Sant Nicolau in Calella. The reason for this is the Gala concert "Music and Light" as part of the Choral Festival Canta al mar.
From the outside everyone could see the colorful lights that lit the entire altar room inside. while entering the church visitors were greeted by a colorful sea of lights placed in the corridors of the church. There was something magical in the air.
This evening three choirs from China, Norway and Gibraltar performed choral works about light and hope. In times of political trouble all over the world, the church in Calella was considered a place of peace for the duration of the concert.
The first choir of the evening was the Shenzhen Musician Association Chorus from China, conducted by Guang Hui Chen. The 49 singers presented the five-legged work "The Lamentations of Jeremiah" and enchanted the audience with a grandiose voice power.
The church was filled to the last place and there was absolute silence. The choir Ad Libitum from Norway also maintained this unique atmosphere. The four songs, including "Amen, Jesus, han skal råde", a traditional Norwegian song arranged by Henning Sommerro, were sung with an indescribable calmness and a tension at the same time that you was lost in the moment of the music and free from all worries.
Finally, a program of sacred choral music and folklore was followed by contemporary choral music. Together with their conductor Christian Santos, the children of the Gibraltar Youth Choir sang thoughtful works and spirituals. Full of motivation and yet with a proper calm, the choir left no eye dry. Especially during the piece "Rescue" by Desperation Band one could hear the one or the other sobbing. This atmosphere was unique and belonged to the moments that you will remember forever.
In order to once again enjoy the common moment of the peaceful gathering, all three choirs sang together with the audience the "Amazing Grace". Truly magical!
