The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Universitat de València took the stage to play the suite of Swan Lake, Op. 20.ª, in order to start this concert journey with a classic Christmas repertoire. "The pieces selected are characteristic at this time of the year and are interpreted in theatres and auditoriums from all around the world. I refer to Tchaikovsky's ballet, such as Swan Lake this year or The Nutcracker, which we already played last year", pointed out Hilari Garcia.

He conducted the OFUV, which played together with more than 150 children voices from five Valencian choirs: the Coral de Menuts i Mitjans de l’Escola Coral de l’Eliana, conducted by Maria Compte, Raquel Piera, Lucía Rodríguez and Pilar Silvestre; the choirs Barcavella -conducted by Amalia Gómez and Santi Lluch- and Gatapata -by Anna Ferrer and Xelo Rodríguez- from the Orfeó Valencià Infantil (OVI); the choirs Bardissa and Minicantores de Pequeños Cantores de València, conducted by Noemí Alfaro and Carmina Moreno, respectively; the Coral Gallarda de l’Escola Coral Veus Juntes de Quart de Poblet, with conductors Roser Gabaldó and José Ramón Peinado; and the UV's Choral Society of La Nau Gran conducted by Mònica Perales.

"The preparation time of children for this concert is very exciting. We have created a beautiful group with 17 kids between five and six years old, and some of them have never sung before or haven't done it in such an auditorium as the Palau de la Música is.   It is a very big challenge that we are all enjoying", claimed Mònica Perales.

Their intervention took place after the ballet, on the second part, dedicated to a great variety of Christmas carols, according to Garcia Gázquez. They began with traditional Anglo-Saxon songs such as Leichte Kavallerie (overture) by Franz Von Suppé; Deck the halls and Jingle bells, a traditional Scottish song and the extremely famous Christmas song by Pierpont, respectively, both arrangements by the Valencian Pascual Martínez; and also the very well-known Sandpaper, by Leroy Anderson.

This section was closed by the Christmas Triptych, by the Valencian Josep Ramon Gil-Tàrrega, which included Christmas carols from different cultural traditions.

The expectation generated each year with the Christmas Concert of the Universitat de València not only revolves around the quality of the repertoire, but also around the surprise that their conductor will never reveal it until that afternoon. A Christmas present dedicated to the little ones and to their families, which take the opportunity to reunite in this exciting dates. Maybe this is the sense that maintains the spirit of Christmas.

Click here to see the concert programme of the OFUV at the Palau de la Música

The UV Orchestra, which played last 4 December at Gandia, played Swan Lake again on the annual date that has with the university community in the Sala Charles Darwin of the Burjassot-Paterna Campus. last 19 December, at 1:00pm.

Burjassot's Concert Programme

"Interactive" voices' choir
Conducted by Mònica Perales, the UV's Choral Club of La Nau Gran participated in the Christmas music programme with a concert taking place in the UV's historic building's cloister, on Friday 19 at 12:00pm.

The attending public was able to listen for free to a very varied repertoire, naturally full of the Christmas festive spirit. Songs such as the Sephardic song Avre este abajour was initiating the performance; other songs such as Tinc un clavell, by Lluís Llach, or classic Christmas carols such as Ya viene la vieja, Dindirindín o Nadal were played. More than a dozen pieces from different traditions and times, united by the voices of 60 singers and Eduard Marquina's piano.

In conclusion, "a Christmas show with a little bit of everything -we expanded the repertoire with three new carols, for example-, but also with a surprise", said the conductor.

Concert programme of the UV's Choral Society of La Nau Gran

Christmas carols and coda in the Bach Year, by the UV’s Choral Society
The Bach Connections project, led by the UV's Choral Society, with its president, Pedro Díez, at the front, and conducted by Francesc Valldecabres, put the finishing touches to the UV's Christmas Concerts.

On the same Friday 19, the Choral Society performed, together with Juan Camilo Reyes on the piano, at the Iglesia Arciprestal de la Asunción de Santa María in Ontinyent.

This concert included only Christmas materials and, its programme, integrated by 16 pieces, was divided in five parts: A classic Christmas with Gruber, Mozart, Adeste Fideles by J.F. Wade and Ave María with compositions by Gounod and Bach; Bach is back!, within the framework of the Bach Year; ¿Do we travel to Africa?, with contemporary music; Our Christmas, with Valencian carols by Luis Blanes and Matilde Salvador; and A good epilogue in order to close the performance blending contemporary and classical authors.

Concert programme of the UV's Choral Society in Ontinyent

On 23 December, the UV's Choral Society offered its traditional concert El món canta davant un bressol (The world sings in front of a cradle) in the Palau de la Música de València as coda to the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach.