Music lesson in IES Valle del Arlanza in Lerma

 

Part of our choir visited music class in the school IES Valle del Arlanza in Lerma on 2nd March, Monday. We were invited by Spanish students to see their way of music education and different kinds of their musical instruments. They also wanted us to get to know their varied repertory.

Everyone was very nervous because of this performing in front of us. However, they were really looking forward to it. When we entered the music classroom we were surprised by extraordinary music instruments – there were xylophones, fipple flutes and other instruments such as maracas, triangles, tambourines and so on. We were welcomed by the teacher Elena Caramanzana Rey who also had opening speech. So the performance could begin.

The first song was Yellow Submarine from Beatles that we really enjoyed. Every song was commented by one of students and it was afterwards translated to Czech language by Ruda Lang for the ones who does not speak Spanish. After that came composition Largo from Symphony No. 9 known as From The New World (Going home) from the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák. We asked if the composition was prepared because of us. However, the teacher said that they learn it commonly in their class and they will also perform it at a concert. Popular Brazilian song named Brasil was the next one, after that dynamic Cancan from Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld and we were amused by the song from the cartoon movie The Flinstones. Sixth composition was well-known When The Saints Go Marching Home and whole performance was ended by two songs dated in middle ages  - Cantigas de Santa María from the 13th century and Tres morillas me enamoran en Jaén from the 15th century. Musicians were really skilful thus they received great applause.

The question time came after that and so we asked a lot. For example, we got to know that their music lessons are divided into two parts – history of music (which takes more hours a week) and one hour a week is playing instruments. We were surprised (as a choir) that they do not sing at lessons at all. We were persuaded to sing some songs for them after that good time spent in the classroom. Even though there weren’t all of us at this Monday lesson we sang a pair of our songs – Santo and Gaudeamus.

The same lesson took part also in Thursday and so other choir singers could visit it. It was again perfect and the choir sang very popular song Hit The Road Jack at the end which was accompanied by Spanish student at xylophones.

 

Translated by: Anežka Konupková