Dusk Canaries

We arrived home at like 12:30 am from the fiesta-like cena at Restaurante Currito. I love the ambiance of the place for it was like Big Brother's house on the outside from the yellow and blue paint, and inside, I can still feel the calm yellow lights and imagine the country home style of the house-turned into a restaurant place and of course, the angelic voices of our choirmates, happily singing songs. They are their own videokes. Cool huh? For dinner, we had lots of picar picar; pan, cheese, chorizo, empanada, rabas, dinuguan rolls called morcilla (looks like black rice wrapped in seaweed, I think), fried pimiento, cheese rolls and a pastry which tastes like sunflower biscuit. The food's great. Nabusog ako! ;)

morcilla

My sister and I had a nice chat with few people from the group. Although we're both crawling to say our spanish right and for us to understand each other, we had a good laugh. There was this man whom I think is Bea's hubby who asked me and my sister, "¿Hablaís tagalog?". Surprisingly and ecstatically, we answered, "¡Si!", then right away he responded , "Pues, yo no." Mixture of 1% disappointment and 99% halakhak came to us. Tawa si Pili (our choirmate) e. lol. We thought someone there knows how to speak our language, as Pili laughingly explained how we looked like. haha!

I love the songs the hombres and the mujeres sang. Well you can sing along if you want, and or have your heart melt while just listening. They sang mostly spanish songs and basque songs, my most favorite from the mujeres was the In the jungle song from the movie Lion King and the I can't help falling in love with you. I heard Roberto even suggesting to sing a The Beatles song. Mr. Sony and Señorito Rosa approves too. Both fan. :) Another cute thing about them is that they won't stop singing once they start 'cause until we all went out of the restau, they were all still singing. Smile remained in my face. I can't believe we're with them, that we're part of them. They're so amazing.

El menú at Restaurante Currito

¡Aupa!

"Feel my vocal cords"

glossy shoes

Big Brother's house diba?

From the moment we entered Iglesia de San Jorge, I wished that we would have a good performance, nervousness almost won and killed me. Of course we had a general practice before the real one, and some vocalizations too. It was November 9, 2012, and Ochote Ardual Zortzikotea from Cantabria Castro Urdiales and Lagun Zaharrak Abots Zuriak from Euskal Herriak (Santurtzi) filled the church with voices that can make your arm hairs stand, both conducted by Roberto Perdiguero.

The hombres~Ochote Ardual Zortzikotea first performed with five songs:
1. Adorote devote [Richard Wagner]
2. Dos palomitas [Folklore sudamericano / arreglo y armonizacion 4vg; Roberto Perdiguero]
3. Ave maria (gregoriano) [Anónimo S. XVI]
4. Ruinas de un monasterio [Sthele]
5. El menú [Carl Zollner]

Even my mom said that these people are greatly astonishing. You gotta hear them. I love the song El menú. You know, the song consists of food, so yeah, nuf said. haha

Siguente is the Lagun Zaharrak Abots Zuriak, singing seven songs:
1. Zeruan Eder Ilargia [Aita Donostia / arr. 4Vb; Roberto Perdiguero]
2. The Rose [letra y música: Amanda Mc Broom]
3. Bubu Mesie [Imanol Urbieta]
4. Cantos Canarios [populares armonizados por Dante Andreo]
5. Oh My Dear Heart [letra James John & Robert Wedderburn / música Eleanor Daley]
6. Ave Maria (3V.B) [Roberto Perdiguero Morales]
7. Maritxu [Herrikoia. / Arm. Javier Busto]

Surprisingly, my sister and I were part of two of these songs (3&5). These were the songs listed. Entering the stage from the back part of the audience, we sang Arroz con Leche with matching kiddy coat and lollipops and some kids' stuff with Roberto having a big regla (ruler) on his hand, patting some butts of naughty kids. (hehe!) It was an act, ya'know some mini entertainment. Cantos Canarios was my favorite one. ;) Green and black are the colors of the group.

Matching bracelets! Aracelli insisted us to put these on.

The Ochote Ardual Zortzikotea joined the Lagun Zaharrak Abots Zuriak on stage and sang:
1. Ave María [Jacob Arcadelt]
2. Maitia nun zira [Jose Urunuela]
3. Siyahamba [Folklore Zulú]

Siyahamba was a super fun song. You gotta hear it too! For the finishing touch, the goodbye song (like the one in the Bear in the Big Blue House) we sang Agur Jaunak with the people standing. Dunno if it was a standing ovation or just an audience gesture or what, but they clapped when we exited the stage.

Siyahamba y Agur Jaunak

For me, it was an epic performance. It was my first time singing on a formal choir presentation. It was a very cold night and I regret my drinking of coffee that morning. My legs won't stop shaking since that morning until we finished performing. Most probably, it is a combination of the super cold atmosphere and the anxiousness. I tried so many times of breathing deep, 'cause I can barely relax myself and really stop shaking. Anyway, good luck to us (me and my sister). Errors are dangerous. See you or not on the next concert! :P

As a stranger to Spain, to Santurtzi, it was nice seeing some familiar faces in the audience. Of course, our over supportive parents and our brothers watched. We also saw Isabel, our teacher in BAOBAT, and one of her colleagues. Our Inmaculada Concepción guitarists/choirmates, Maria Jose, her daughter and Alfonso(who just knew about this concert that morning with my sister's information) watched too. Mom said that our former classmate, Majida of Marruecos was there too. We invited some people we know (family in particular), too bad they weren't able to come. Our dad was so happy and so proud that he allowed us to join the dinner with the group afterwards.

On the brochure given, "SANTURTZI-XXXIII ENCUENTROS INTERNACIONALES DE COROS" was written. Coro Antiphona of Venezuela began the encuentro at October 26 followed by Coral Amatza of Euskal Herria on the 27th of October. November 2 gathered The Rose Ensemble of the United States. The next day, November 3, was the New Dublin Voices of Ireland.  For November 9, were the Ochote Ardual Zortzikotea and Lagun Zaharrak Abots Zuriak. November 10, Coral Villa Blanca of Asturias and Lagun Zaharrak Abesbatza of Euskal Herria ended the whole encuentro.

Agur Jaunak!