Núria arrives a little late. She rushes through the doors of the Escola Cervantes (Sant Pere Més Baix, 31) and looks for a free seat among the dozens of occupied chairs. She sits as far to the left as she can-“it’s because I’m a soprano & rdquor ;, she says, after rehearsal-. A friend gives her a small folder with sheet music. “Which one are we going for? & rdquor ;, she asks her. “Adele’s & rdquor ;, she replies as she points to the ‘Send My Love (To Your New Lover)‘.
He is in rehearsal for the massive concert with which this Sunday, the 19th, the Barcelona English Choir will fill the INEFC (Avenida de l’Estadi, 12). Today, there are about 40 people in the room, although on the day of the concert all the members of the choir will be there, “approximately 250 singers& rdquor ;, he affirms Ed Aldcroft, founder. “It will be epic & rdquor ;, promises. And it is not for less, since the occasion requires it: the event was born with the aim of celebrating that they have reached the decade shouting for Barcelona.
‘Food trucks’, concert and ‘afterparty’
East tenth anniversary “It will be like a festival & rdquor ;, promises Aldcroft. Starting at 6:00 p.m., around INEFC there will be food trucks, live music and activities for the family. Then, at 8:30 p.m., the concert will begin inside the venue. At the end of the ‘show’ and until midnight, a ‘afterparty‘ with ‘dj’.
The show, despite the large proportions of this weekend, “will follow the usual dynamic & rdquor ;, he assures. In other words, don’t expect a solemn concert with religious overtones like ‘Children of the Choir’. Here they will perform music that typically does not belong to the world of the choir, but rather timeless hits like ‘The Chain‘Fleetwood Mac, or’Wicked Game‘ by Chris Isaac.
Waiting list
Fill a space as big as the INEFC It’s a big challenge, but nothing they haven’t faced before, says the founder. For example, they had already managed to fill so much The Auditori like room 1 Razzmatazz (The main). And normally, the choir arouses passions: they are so successful that there is a waiting list to sign up for their ranks. “Of course, if you are a man, the entrance is almost automatic & rdquor ;, affirms Aldcroftsince, currently, they have more need for male tenor and bass voices than female sopranos or contraltos.
As the reason for celebrating this Sunday’s festival indicates, the Barcelona English Choir was born ten years ago when Aldcroft arrived from England to Barcelona with his partner. “I realized that there were many people who wanted to practice English & rdquor ;, but all the options were very academic. He came up with the idea of combining this need with one of his passions: singing. “This way there is a double advantage & rdquor ;, he guarantees, “learning English through entertainment & rdquor ;. Let him tell Ana Bottle.
261 members
“The first year we were 20 & rdquor ;, recalls the founder. Now, the exact number of members is 261 and, “the best thing & rdquor ;, he continues, “is that it is a mixture of everything: more than half of the people have signed up to learn English, while the rest are native or speak English on a daily basis & rdquor ;. So of course in the Barcelona English Choir no matter what your level of English is, you will always give the grade. And that is grace.
Beyond this facet of a language academy, the choir is a social club, and ten years are enough for many stories. “Many links are created& rdquor ;, promise Aldcroftand even loving. “As far as I know, there is a couple that has formed here, in the choir. And not only that, there are many groups of friends that have been created around music and common activities. It is something very common & rdquor ;, guarantees.
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Some friendly ties that go beyond the city: many people who pass through the choir are temporarily living in Barcelona, and end up forging deep relationships with local people who, when they return to their city of origin, become long-distance friends. Indeed, it is like having an Erasmus friend: ideal for traveling the world without booking a hotel.