Band music was the protagonist of a special gathering with the celebration of the VII Band Cycle ‘Ara sona Riba-roja’. In this seventh edition, the Municipal Auditorium served as the stage for the Banda Unió Musical de Picanya, the Banda Unió Musical de Villar del Arzobispo, and the Banda Sinfónica Unión Musical de Riba-roja de Túria.
This cultural initiative, promoted by the City Council and the Sociedad Unión Musical de Riba-roja de Túria, aims to value and honor Valencian musical societies, which are declared Intangible Cultural Heritage (BIC).
Following an inaugural parade through the town center, the first group to perform was the Banda Unió Musical de Picanya, founded in 1977. Under the direction of Juan Carlos López Luján, they performed the pieces “Mont Serra” by Ferrer Ferran, “La Odisea” by Sara Galiana, and the moorish march “Ropería Ximo” by Francisco Valor Llorens.
Next, the Banda Unió Musical de Villar del Arzobispo, a musical group with over a century of history, conducted by Borja Martínez Alegre, opened their performance with the pasodoble ‘Entrega de bandas de Elda’ by Pedro Joaquín Francés. They continued with “Divertimento for Band Op. 42” by Vincent Persichetti, “Vesuvius” by Frank Ticheli, and the christian march “Iubilo” by Ferran Lluis Martínez Silvestre.
After the first two performances, the mayor of Riba-roja de Túria, Robert Raga, and the Councilor for Culture, José Manuel Vila, accompanied by the president of the Societat Musical de Riba-roja, Miguel Moreno, recognized the musical trajectory and contribution to local culture of two members of the Banda Sinfónica Unión Musical de Riba-roja: María Raga Coll and Javier Zanón Moreno. Additionally, the three participating bands were honored.
Finally, the mayor presented an institutional gift to Llorens Mendoza, a musician, clarinetist, composer, and orchestra conductor born in Paiporta. Mayor Robert Raga highlighted the importance of preserving traditional music as part of identity and history.
The host band, the Banda Sinfónica Unión Musical, with 86 years of history and a brilliant international record, provided the grand finale for the day. Directed by José Pascual Arnau Paredes, National Percussion Prize winner in 1995, they performed “Born 4 Horn” by Fritz Neuböck, featuring the horn section as soloists, and “El regalo de Gea” by José Sunyer. One of the most vibrant moments was the performance of the pasodoble “Lorencín Mendoza” by Pascual Marquina, conducted by his son, Llorens Mendoza, who was present at the event. The day concluded with the rendition of the “Himne de la Comunitat Valenciana”.
