Hand in hand with theater, storytelling and two acclaimed symphonic-choral presentations, the regional cast culminates its successful 2019 season.

The public was filled with feelings of 'Hope' after witnessing the XI Concert of the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra and its acclaimed proposal for this season's close, inspired by the famous “Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The evenings contemplated playful narratives; as well as popular Christmas carols and famous choral extracts from Händel, Bach, Saint-Säens, Debussy and Prokofiev.

Nearly a thousand people, including children and adults, witnessed one of the most anticipated shows for families. On this occasion, the professional cast shared the stage with great talents from the region, uniting different art disciplines such as storytelling, theater and singing on a single large stage. The execution of the symphonic-choral works was carried out by the Citizen Singers of Elqui, which was composed of the choirs of the Renacer Choral Ensemble, Ensamble Vocal En Armonía and Ensamble Cantus Florida; while the retelling of Charles Dickens' story fell into the hands of the prominent actor and playwright Héctor Álvarez Godoy.

In this way, who was in charge of taking the public on this journey through the past, present and future of Mr. Scrooge, highlighted the experience of having shared the stage with the orchestra and the choir: “They were two very beautiful days, of quite demanding because it is the first time that I have done a job of this nature and it was a very big show. Personally, I felt a great responsibility on my shoulders, but fortunately everything worked out and it was a wonderful job," explained Héctor Álvarez, and then delved deeper into the reflection left by this legendary Christmas story: "I find the message of Dickens' story remarkable, since he says that greedy people drag a heavy chain for an eternity or, on the other hand, their wealth is looted by the poor and to me the message of his story seems super contingent in the face of the social-political contingency that exists. So it seems very relevant to me to rescue figures like Dickens, where he shows us a society that must be revisited and visited; I felt a lot of emotion and one perceives that from the scenic side; So it was a beautiful and unforgettable experience to be here. Very beautiful,” confessed the prominent local actor.

On this occasion, the XI and last concert of 2019 was led by the pianist, composer and academic from the Department of Music of the University of La Serena and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Fernando Guede Rodríguez, who spoke about the assembly and the time that it took them a while to produce a show of these characteristics and format: “We spent a little more than 3 months preparing this, first looking at the script, then organizing the musical accompaniment part where there was a lot of work with the concertmaster; then, locate the actor and prepare the scores for this concert because there were original scores and some that were arrangements and in those cases, we had to produce some scores. So it was a job that was prepared well in advance,” the guest director explained.

Those who had the privilege of enjoying these concerts aimed at the family and free of charge, referred to the staging carried out by the regional group, both in the Performing Arts Room of the Palace Cultural Center of Coquimbo and in the Cathedral San Bartolome de La Serena. For Pamela Gallardo, who attended the first performance with her children, the presentation “was really beautiful and it is very nice to see this type of shows live; They were also based on a story that is known to us, my children have seen it on television and that makes them feel familiar with the concert and pay attention to what happens and is narrated on stage.”

For his part, Mauricio Labra, expressed that he was moved by the presentation held in the cathedral. “Enjoying a concert in that place gives another sensation to the show, it really surrounds you with the feelings of hope and love that are typical of these dates and that are so needed in these times of injustice, selfishness and repression. The orchestra shined as always, giving us a top-notch concert.”

It should be noted that this season was carried out thanks to the financing of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, which since 2016 has been attached to the National Budget Glosa; in addition to the important support provided by the University of La Serena and the Directorate of Linkage with the Environment and Extension (DIVEULS); the Municipality of La Serena and its Department of Culture; and the Municipality of Coquimbo together with its Department of Culture and the Palace Cultural Center.

The professional cast is already preparing its activities for the 2020 summer season, with Los Encuentros Musicales de La Serena, which will celebrate its XXXV version in the regional capital. Its programming includes midday concerts, the IV International Choral Conducting Course and the invitation to join the Encuentros Youth Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of the outstanding Chilean maestro who is triumphing in the United States, José Luis Domínguez; among more surprises that will extend from January 3 to 17, 2020.

For more information on this new programming and dates of our future artistic activities for 2020, just visit the portal www.sinfonicalaserena.cl, and follow the news and presentations on the Fanpage: “University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra”, Twitter: @sinfonicaLS and Instagram: sinfonicalaserena.

Written by Camila Pérez, University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra