The vice-counsellor of Culture and Sports for the Castilla-La Mancha government, Carmen Teresa Olmedo, has participated in the presentation of the sixth Advent Cycle organised by the Fundación Patronato de la Semana de Música Religiosa (SMR) in Cuenca. This initiative will feature five concerts from 5 to 19 December, combining sacred music, the recovery of musical heritage, and community participation.
During her speech, Olmedo emphasised the importance of music as a space for encounter, reflection, and coexistence, stating that “culture has the ability to unite people from different generations and backgrounds around shared experiences.” She also highlighted the diversity of the programme, which spans over five centuries of musical history, from Spanish Renaissance carols to 20th-century compositions, including repertoires from Armenia, Italy, and Central Europe.
The cycle will commence on 5 December at the Biblioteca de La Merced with a performance by Gaudia Musicae, featuring the ensemble Ministriles Hispalensis. On 6 December, the parish of San Julián will host Benjamin Britten's 'Saint Nicolas', performed by the Coros y Orquesta del Coro Easo. The programme will continue on 7 December with 'Morning Light' by the duo Intesa at the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, alongside an ancient music performance titled 'Que tus amados ángeles se lleven mi alma pura' by Concierto Poético at the Biblioteca de La Merced.
One of the highlights of this year's edition will be the 'Participatory Messiah' on 19 December at the Teatro Auditorio de Cuenca. This event will feature over 150 singers from Cuenca and other parts of Spain, bringing together amateur and professional performers for a collective interpretation of Georg Friedrich Händel's 'Messiah', alongside soloists and the Coro de la Semana de Música Religiosa, accompanied by the Orquesta del Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla-La Mancha.
Olmedo expressed gratitude to the Asociación Cultural Mesías Participativo, the Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca, the Teatro Auditorio, and collaborating entities, as well as the musicians and singers involved. She remarked that “this concert represents a way of understanding culture through participation, shared effort, and collaboration among people who find a common language in music.” Finally, she invited the public to enjoy a programme that connects music, heritage, and spirituality, reminding them that “music offers us the opportunity to listen, feel, and recognise what unites us as a society.”
