La Banda de la Unión Musical de Lerma
La Banda of Lerma was found in 1993, when the city hall started with attempts to create it. Firstly it tried José Boyer, who was after replaced by Fernando Moya.
At the beginning the union only had about 12 members, but after first performance,which took a place in the 5th of September 1998, a lot of new musiciants wanted to took a part of it. There was onely one profesional (Fernando Moya), who was hadmaster and teacher of all instruments, which could be taught. Nowadays there are about 15 teachers.
In 1997 was La banda establihed as Asociación Unión Musical de Lerma and new instruments was bought, partly for the money of Citi hall.
Since year 1998, when was first live performance, is La banda getting better and better and constanly increse the number of live shows, playd all over the region. Also it joined lot of meetings with other bands.
On these days the Unión can offer: music school for children, since three years old, and adults. Band called Banda de la Unión Musical de Lerma, band for little children (also called Mini-Banda) and a grope of drummers. Besides members can take a part in others orchestras or gropes.
Members of La Banda are students of IES Valle del Arlanza of Lerma who are joined in project with Gymnázium Jihlava. The Band is very active, usually performs several concerts annually. Full list of concert is in web page below.
Web page of Unión Musical: https://unionmusicaldelerma.wordpress.com/banda-de-musica-uml/
Translated by: Adam Ruschka
Visiting Banda de Lerma
On the 6th of March in the evening our choir was invited to one of the regular Friday rehearsals of the Music Association of Lerma (Banda de Lerma). Lots of HSGJ members besides singing also play musical instruments in an orchestra or other ensembles so we were all very curious about the Spanish training. It took place in the premises of the school of music. Outside of the building was not similar to school. The building made more spiritual impression (except for Lerma’s symbol on the facade). Mainly because the school was located in the former monastery Santo Domingo de Guzmán from 1617.
When we went inside we found ourselves in a sort of sheltered courtyard which surrounded multi-storey arcade. This time we suppressed the idea to sing on this beautiful place and we entered one of the rooms on the ground floor. There was Banda de Lerma waiting for us. The musicians sat in a semicircle and in front of them there was a smiling conductor. Good mood and lust to show something off emanated from them. I was suprised that there were only wind and percussion instruments and there were people of different ages. I expected that musicians will be younger just because the training took place in the school. Later I found out that in the school ran regular individual lessons for all musical instruments too similary to music schools in our country. Some members of our choir saw their skilled exchange students or their parents in the orchestra.
The orchestra played for us several compositions by spanish authors. We all listened with interest. A lot of us appreciated the handy little saxophonists, flutes and trombones. When they ended we sang them in return. There we had just "courtyard". We sang a few spiritual slow songs which sounded here really amazing! Acoustics charmed us so much that we couldn‘t stop singing. I think that Banda de Lerma liked our singing as much as we liked their lesson. After a brief chatting and thanking for a pleasant evening we said goodbye and we left full of new experiences for our families.
Translated by: Adéla Kolátorová, Viktor Němeček
