Rodríguez Moñino Choir
The IES Rodríguez Moñino choir began in the years 1995-1996 and
1996-1997 as the initiative of a number of pupils and the school music
teacher, María José de Vega Elías. Its first activities were the
Certamen de Villancicos which is organised every year by the Badajoz
Local Council, and a choral meeting in the San José de Almendralejo
church during the Christmas holidays. Its first pieces were renaissance
carols like “Ay, linda amiga” or “Ay, triste que vengo” by Juan del
Encina and the carols “Los peces en el río” and “La Buena Nueva”.
In 1999-2000 the IES Rodríguez Monino choir played a part in the birth
of La Asociación de Directores de Coros Escolares de Extremadura,
ADICOREDEX.
This association came about at the request of various school choir
directors (among whom must be mentioned María Gago, first president and
coordinator) that used to meet up to do joint music festivals. Its
members agree to participate in the Christmas and spring festivals in
Badajoz’s López de Ayala Theatre and to collaborate in proposed
activities. In each of these festivals each choir sings two songs, in
which the efforts of many primary and secondary schools come together
to offer a musical spectacle thanks to the work of the directors during
the school year.
ADICOREDEX was the first association of its kind in Spain. Nowadays its
structure is followed throughout the country because we know that five
minutes of music requires hours of practice over the course of many
days during the school year. Without the coordination of many choirs
these concerts would be very difficult to put on.
The evolution of the IES Rodríguez Moñino choir is most obvious during
Badajoz’s Local Council’s Christmas competitions, and we were chosen to
participate in the Grand Final for three years.
Being a part of this organisation has facilitated access to grants from
numerous public institutions and help from private companies in order
to record some of our music on CD, and some videos from the festivals
in the López de Ayala.
Together with ADICOREDEX in Christmas 2000, ten pupils from the choir
went on a trip to Vienna, invited by the city’s Council.
The following year another ten pupils went on a trip to Paris and put
on a concert in the city’s Hogar Español.
We also have to mention the visits to Madrid (Lo + Plus, Beauty and the
Beast, We will rock you…) and the trip to Salamanca to meet the choir
of La Fuente de San Esteban school.
To complete the list of activities we need to mention the trips to
various zones in the region (Guadalupe, Trujillo, Plasencia, Hervás,
Puebla de Alcocer, etc.); the collaboration and participation in the
Festivales de Villancicos de la Parroquia San Juan Macías, as of 2001,
in which we get together with other secondary schools from the region;
the participation in the Festival Iberico de Música in its rendition of
Música en la Calle; and the performances in our school’s finales de
curso (performed in the school itself in the CPR’s performance room, or
in the Caja Extremadura Esteban Sánchez culture classroom in the Hernán
Cortes University Residence.
The choir’s repertoire changes from year to year, depending on the
qualities and abilities of its members, given that the choir’s make-up
changes from year to year. Because of this we have performed themes in
different styles, vocal or instrumental, a capella, mono or polyphonic,
accompanied by the scholarly or classical instruments of those that are
available. The whole choir participates in the arrangements, so that
the recordings are a result of a group effort.
Teresa Barco (the school’s music teacher) and Sergio Fernández (in
2004-2005) have also participated in the running of the choir.
The IES Rodríguez Moñino choir is renewed every school year, and in
Christmas 2006 had its 10^th anniversary since its first appearance in
Almendralejo’s Festival de Villancicos.
It’s also great to be able to mention that some of those first pupils
now collaborate with us so that the current pupils can benefit from
their experience.
Of all the activities carried out to commemorate this anniversary, the
choir’s webpage stands out. It was created by
Concha Corrales Isaac, and displays our most important activities and
tries to form a link between all those who have participated in this
great project in some way or another.
The support of the AMPA, of colleagues and of the school itself,
represented by the boards of directors that we’ve had, have of course
been invaluable to the project, as has our workplace, the ‘Joaquín
Oncins’ classroom. We hope that the pleasure we gain from working in
this classroom is reflected in every piece of work that we do.
Thank you to all those who have made it possible.
María José de Vega Elías, Conductor of the IES Rodríguez Moñino choir
in Badajoz.
Translated by Chris Harper
