It really is beginning to feel, and look, a lot like Christmas, with seasonal panto’s, choirs, decorations and lights now adorning every corner of the Vega Baja.
Bars and restaurants across the region are digging out their Bing Crosby and Michael Bublé CD’s, but the one thing that really brings it home for many local residents is the annual celebratory event hosted by the International Residents Department of the Torrevieja Town Hall, and held in the Plaza de la Constitución, the renowned ‘Carols in the Square’.
Friday evening saw the 22nd edition of this now famed event, which started all those years ago as little more than an impromptu get together among British, Irish and Scandinavian expats.
Many choirs and bands have come and gone but this year the emphasis was placed on the new generation of arrivals to these shores with choruses heavily featuring children from Rumania, Ukraine, Poland and of course Spain.
And they did not disappoint as hundreds of people, many of them wearing Santa suits and other Christmas apparel, all embodying the joyful atmosphere of this musical celebration, crammed into an overflowing Plaza that was bursting at the seams.
The concert was also attended by Torrevieja’s mayor, Eduardo Dolón, the Deputy Mayor Rosario Martínez, International Residents Councillor, Gitte Lund Thomsen, and Integration councillor Oscar Urtasun North, as well as many other government officials.
Participating choirs paraded the short distance from the Municipal Theatre to the square, the first being members of the Scandinavian School Choir who entertained with “Santa Lucía” and “Noche de Paz”.
They were followed by the vocal group “Sanzienele” from the Cultural Association “Acércate a Rumanía” and the children from the Romanian language, culture and development course in Torrevieja, who offered us “Mos craciun cu plete dalbe (Santa Claus with the white hair) and Domn, Domn sa-naltam (Lord, Lord, let us rise).
The “Polish Friends” Choir, directed by Ezequiel Soriano Freire, continued with “Silent Night” and “One day a year”; then the “Tando” Choir, a choir of Ukrainian children and teenagers, sang “The sky is covered with stars and glitter” and “Carol of the campaigns”.
Melody Makers International offered us “Winter Wonderland”, “Mary’s Boy Child” and “Silver Bells”.
The choral performances were concluded by the students of the “Francisco Casanovas” Professional Conservatory, led by Belén Puente, who delighted us with “Merry Christmas everyone” and “Jingle Bell Rock”.
All of the choirs were accompanied by the “Ensemble Joven Orquesta Sinfónica de Torrevieja” (JOST), directed by Francisco J. Garres whilst the evening was compered by the talented Shani Ormiston who charmed the audience with several Christmas songs at the end of the concert.
The event was finally closed by the Councillor for International Residents, Gitte Lund Thomsen and the Councillor for Coexistence and Integration, Oscar Urtasun North, who congratulated everyone on what had been a truly International and wonderful Christmas concert.
All images kindly provided by Joaquin Carrión, Objectivo Torrevieja
