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MAGIBA – Home again after concerts in Rioja in Spain (2002). Plectro Rioja
– Festival International de Música de Plectro de la Rioja. – Last
year MAGIBA applied to join the festival, but there was too many at that time,
so we where happy to receive an invitation this year and even so lucky to be
able to go as a full orchestra. We booked by IBERIA (Monday the 26. of
august 2002) and they had a fine service and we where allowed to bring the
instruments into the cabin, though some of them had to be stored by the
stewardess. We must say it was a fairly long trip. First we went to Madrid,
waited 3½ hour for another plain to Bilbao, then by coach 150 km. To Logroño
and we arrived very well after midnight – somewhat tired! We had our lodging at a student college. It
was need and sufficient and they had a very fine cantina and they served
plenty of delicious food, and even lunch packages when we drove out for
sightseeing. Already Tuesday evening was the first concert and it was held
in the community auditorium in Logroño. A very fine concert hall. As we arrived
early, to arrange the stage and to tune the instruments, we also had our
“spy’s” out looking for audience!!! – they came back quite disappointed
and told us that they only spotted 10 ore12 persons, and we thought, well
we’ll give them the whole lot as they was so kind as to show up. – Then all
of a sudden, 5 minutes before the concert, there was a flood of people coming
and there might have been some 300 to 400 people sitting there, - and they
stayed!!! - We even had standing ovations, and off cause we filled in a little
extra music. We had a great time and gained a lot of confidence for the concerts
to come. Wednesday
we had the day off and had a mutual coach trip to the town Burgos. As Soeren,
our accordion player, had been there before, he volunteered as our guide and
showed us some interesting places, we really enjoyed that trip and was strolling
around for hours, and enjoyed our lunch pack along the riverside. We also
visited a vineyard and “tested” the Rioja vine. Later in the evening, as we
arrived home, some of us crossed the street and gathered in a small but cosy
pub, named “Don Quijote” where most of the players from the other orchestras
also joined in sooner or later. Thursday
we vent to a small town named Agoncilla, about 15 km. from Logroño. The
place we where going to play appeared to be an old restored castle (Castillo
Aguas Mansas - today used as the
community council). We where sat in the yard under a kind of loggia. It was
quite exiting an the acoustic was very good. – The Mayor was there too and he
invited us for what we first thought was a drink and a snack and though the
communication was difficult we understood that he wanted us to bring our
instruments along. – Oh no – we thought, we are not sitting
playing in a foreign pub, so we brought our instruments back to the coach
and vent back to the Mayer. As we started walking and passed the pub near by, we
thought well they may have an other one, but as we turned more corners whiteout
seeing any, we thought maybe he is taking us home to his place! – Then
suddenly we came to a place covered by windbreakers and coloured light bulbs and
saw tables arranged with lots of all kinds of delicious food and vine. We where
taken by surprise and regretted our decision about the instruments. The
hospitality by the Spanish where overwhelming and though the language was a
great problem (most Danes do 2-3 foreign languages, but they only did Spanish),
we had a good time together. During the meal we discovered that the coach driver
had parked only 50 yards behind the place, so we went and picked our instruments
and then we performed half a concert there in the middle of the night and no
ones of the neighbours complained. We made them happy and they insisted on
champagne afterwards, so it was a very nice evening. Friday
we drove 25 km. to a small picturesque town named Torecilla and played in the
church (St. Martin). As we where there in good time we walked about and enjoyed
the town and area before the concert. Also their Mayer joined the concert and
afterwards we where invited to a dinner (tree course meal – late in the
evening) at a fine hotel – Gifts where exchanged and we where given a diploma
for “Participating with brilliant performance”, which made us all happy. Saturday
we played in Alfaro – 75 km. to the south east of Logroño. It was an old and
very beautiful church with a fine and detailed gold plated altar-piece. –
again after the concert, we where treated with a dinner, soup, some meat and
yoghurt and vine. There was a variety in the meat, some had pork, calf and what
we think was rabbit and there was snails too( they doesn’t really appeal to
the Danish taste). - During the daytime, - as all the concerts where in the
evenings, - we had time to walk
around in Logroño to do some shopping and to relax in the parks or to take a
beer or coffee, enjoying the atmosphere. – After the last concert we came home
late and had only a few hours sleep before packing and starting the long journey
home, - tired but happy and loaded with all the new impressions. - They had our
stay very well organised and we had a very nice and memorable trip down there.
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