The Coral Polifónica de Alcázar de San Juan has successfully hosted the 29th 'Ciudad de Alcázar' choral meeting, featuring the Coral 'La Moraña' from Arévalo, a town in the province of Ávila. Both choirs, founded in 1987, have established a significant reputation and a long history of musical collaboration.
The event took place at the Museo Casa del Hidalgo, with support from the Alcázar de San Juan City Council. Ana Isabel Abengózar, a local councillor, attended the event along with other municipal representatives to congratulate both choirs.
Miguel Ángel García Martínez, president of the Coral Polifónica de Alcázar de San Juan, opened the event by introducing the choirs and their respective conductors: Verónica Castañeda for the Arévalo choir and Luis Miguel Abengoza for the local choir. This gathering marks a reciprocal visit, following the Alcázar choir's trip to Arévalo in 2024, where they performed a repertoire focused on habaneras.
“We have been organising these meetings for 29 years because they allow us to travel across Spain, meet different cities, towns, choirs, cultures, and customs. But, above all, they provide a wonderful day of camaraderie, whether we are travelling or hosting visitors here in Alcázar de San Juan,”
Castañeda explained the selection of pieces for the concert, stating, “We chose a varied and, above all, joyful repertoire because we believe this moment is for enjoying music. We brought the most emblematic and well-known songs from our choir, such as 'A mi manera', but we also wanted to perform 'Canto a Castilla', a piece harmonised specifically for our choir that we believe best represents our land.”
She expressed delight at discovering the heritage of Alcázar de San Juan, praising the acoustic conditions of the Museo Casa del Hidalgo and other historic sites. “We loved the atmosphere and the venue; the acoustics were spectacular. We also visited the Church of San Francisco, and spontaneously sang a song there. Alcázar has spectacular monuments and culture that we would like to explore further,” Castañeda added.
Councillor Abengózar praised the achievement of reaching the 29th edition of this event, stating, “29 years is no small feat. This indicates that the meeting has solidified its place in the cultural and musical calendar of Alcázar de San Juan. We take pride in this, as our city’s cultural richness is thanks to the dedication and commitment of associations like our Coral Polifónica, which dedicates much time to this work, often at the expense of their own families and rehearsals.”
She also highlighted that the visit from the Arévalo choir coincided with the celebrations of the XIII Cervantino Wine and Baptism Days, centred around the figure of Miguel de Cervantes. “This meeting greatly enriches tourism in Alcázar, as visitors experience our land during a very special time filled with gastronomic and cultural events, such as the Cervantine parade in Plaza de España. We are confident that the high expectations for this evening will translate into success, a result of hard work that always pays off,” she concluded.
One of the most touching moments of the concert occurred when Saúl García Castañeda, the young son of director Verónica Castañeda, joined the performance on keyboard for several pieces. The Coral Polifónica de Alcázar de San Juan then took the stage, performing songs such as 'Chiquitita' by ABBA and 'Si te vas' by Extremoduro. The concert concluded with a joint performance of 'Caticorum Jubilo' by Handel.
