November always has a deep-rooted celebration in El Poble Nou de Benitatxell: Santa Cecilia, the music festival. The musical associations of the municipality (the Music Band, the Colla La Llebetjà, the Parish Choir and the Morro Falquí Danse Group), with the collaboration of the City Council, have organized a special program that will extend over two weekends . There will be live performances spread over three days to encourage the participation of all the residents of the municipality.
The program will begin this Friday, November 24, with a party, music and bar at popular prices in Plaza de les Pesqueres starting at 00:00. The Xaranga Bandeta Bèrnia from Altea will perform.
Saturday the 25th will be a big day. The day will start at 12:00 with a very special event for the new musician who joins the band: the saxophonist Nicolás Cruz Torres, who is already the second generation of his family in the Santa María Magdalena Music Municipal Association, since his mother, Gema Torres Fontes, is a flutist and founder of the group. As is tradition, he will wait excitedly at the door of his house for the Music Band to pick him up in a parade through the streets of the town. Next, at 13:00 p.m., an aperitif will be offered for the members of the group at the Municipal Market.
In the afternoon the events will resume starting at 18:00 p.m. with the Colla La Llebetjà parade, the display of traditional dances by the Grup de Danses Morro Falquí in the Plaza de la Iglesia and the concert by the Parish Choir at 20:00 p.m.: 00h in the church. Later, starting at 00:XNUMX, there will be a night of dancing with the Silver Group and bar service at popular prices.
Next week, Friday, December 1, it will be the turn of the Music School students. The Batucada Dacatuba, the Colleta and the Bandeta Juvenil will offer their auditions at the Santa María Magdalena church at 19:00 p.m.
The final culmination of the program will be given by the Santa María Magdalena Municipal Music Group, which will perform, on Saturday, December 2, at 20:00 p.m. in the Church, the traditional Santa Cecilia concert. The concert will be a tribute to Vicente Ivars Ferrer “El Mestre”, who was missing last February. Vicente was one of the fundamental promoters of the group in 1987. Since then, he was for years director of the band and teacher of many of the town's musicians. He also directed the Parish Choir. After the concert, the musicians will have a brotherhood dinner in the Carrasco celebration hall.
Mayor, Miguel Ángel García, and the Councilor for Culture, Jorge Pascual, have highlighted the backbone role of musical groups in the life of the municipality and the need to unite them. «They are very rooted and loved in our town, they put music in our lives and they get to play our choirs in each of their concerts. They are also great social backbones and dynamizers that give soul and life to the municipality, in addition to promoting and inspiring a taste for musical training in future generations.
