2023-12-23 23:30:02
It is quite disconcerting that on Facebook the low-voice choir Biotz Alai (Algorta, 1966) wishes ‘happy holidays’, which frequents churches and this Saturday offered its traditional Christmas concert at the Muxikebarri, one of its two unmissable annual events. along with that of San Lorenzo in August. The invitations were sold out in advance distribution (thankfully, near the box office there were fans and friends generously and civilly distributing the tickets they were not going to use to people who did not have them), and the Saturday meeting lasted 80 minutes for 15 songs in two parts, including an eleven-minute intermission and a final seven-minute summary of intentions by the president of the choir, Juan Ignacio Roscales.
Roscales reassured the members after a year in which he himself came to think that the choir could disappear. After 55 years housed in the Church of San Nicolás, the choirists have had to move and have found a new premises in Telletxe, which is being renovated thanks, among other factors, to the subsidy of 60,000 euros granted by the Getxo City Council. During these months of uncertainty, the partners have made extra financial contributions and none have abandoned the ship. Furthermore, by 2024 Roscales has set its objectives to increase the artistic risk of the choir and welcome more young voices, since it is evident that the average age of the current members is advanced.
But let’s get to the art. The Biotz Alai, represented by 39 male voices, gave two performances: the first with 10 professional musicians and the second basically with the voices singing Christmas carols. Both were directed by Juanlu Díaz-Emparanza. In general and in essence it was a very nice and well resolved meeting. Of the 15 songs, perhaps the first one, the jotero ‘Ene what laughter we did’, was the most unfocused, who knows if it was because the voices were warming up, because of the poor connection between the musicians and the choir, or because the undersigned was trying to take some photos. and it is already known that men cannot do two things at the same time.
The rest of this first pass was magnificent, solemn and resounding, with jovial and gourmet polyphonies (‘The menu’, then ‘Beti eskamak kentzen’), zortzikos (‘beti maite’), Russophile numbers in the style of the Volga rowers (‘ Peregrina’), the proud Spanish-American joy (‘Alma llanera’), and a couple of well-made habaneras.
The 39 voices and the conductor in the encore ‘Agur jaunak’.’ Oscar Cubillo
The second part of the chorus that says ‘happy holidays’ on Facebook focused on the Christmas carols, which exuded faith and meditation (‘Polit ederra’). Without the musicians but with a sporadic pianist, their deep voices became warmer and the audience applauded the best-known ones louder and longer and listened standing up to the only encore, ‘Agur jaunak’. There were also habaneras in this second part (‘Izar ederra’, then a relaxed version of ‘Hator, hator’) and polyphonic games (‘Ole-olentzero’, widely applauded at the end), and also the sacred inspiration inseparable from these dates is highlighted in ‘Mesias sarritan’ (with a saluted solo singer and interlude with a long passage from ‘Haurtxo txikia’), and at the top of the event, the bilingual ‘Silent Night’.
And President Roscales said goodbye saying “zorionak, urte berri on.” Well, what I said, readers.
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