Ars Nova and Petit Ars offer a Christmas Concert in tribute to Antoni Llidó

On Sunday 15th December at 11.00am, the Convent of the Augustinians of Xàbia will be the stage for the traditional Ars Nova and Petit Ars Christmas Concert. This year, the music goes beyond the festive season and delves into a message of peace and justice, since it will be dedicated to the memory of Antoni Llidó, a tribute concert that is part of the special programming in Xàbia during 2024 which has commemorated the 50th anniversary of his disappearance. The concert will combine music, memory and solidarity, offering an emotional tribute to solidarity and social commitment.

Antoni Llidó, a priest and teacher born in Xàbia, is remembered as an example of dedication to the defence of human rights and support for the most vulnerable. Throughout his life, he stood out for his dedication to education and his commitment to social justice, especially during his work in Chile, where he worked hard to protect the most disadvantaged people. The Pinochet dictatorship detained him and he disappeared in 1974, but his memory lives on both in the community that knew him and in those who continue to fight for the values ​​he defended.

This concert seeks to pay tribute to his memory and highlight his legacy, while also highlighting the power of music as a tool to preserve memory and promote social change.

Under the direction of the prestigious conductor Rubén Penadés and accompanied on piano by Antonio Martínez, Ars Nova and Petit Ars will perform a varied and meaningful programme. Among the pieces that make up the repertoire are the iconic “Te Recuerdo Amanda” by Víctor Jara, adapted by Javier Busto, which delicately transmits the memory and the fight for human values, paying homage to the people who dedicated their lives to social justice; and “La Cançó de la Rosa de Paper” with music by Andreu Soler based on a poem by Vicent Andrés Estellés, a work that reflects on the fragility and beauty of the human condition, full of poetic symbolism. We will also be able to listen to a fragment of the musical ‘Chess‘, a work that has become a hymn to peace through its universal narrative and “Dorm Petita Mar”, a tender lullaby by the Basque composer Josu Elberdin, which connects with the innocence and serenity of childhood.

The programme also includes a very special piece for the people of Xàbia: a choral version of the traditional “Folies del Portitxol”, created especially for this occasion, which combines music and local tradition, as a tribute to Antoni Llidó’s connection with the culture and folklore of his land. In addition, the Christmas pieces “Vénen els Reis” by José Rafael Pascual-Vilaplana and “Christmas Lullaby” by John Rutter will be performed, which will give the concert a festive touch.

The concert will also have a charitable purpose, since the proceeds will go to choral societies affected by DANA, demonstrating the commitment of Ars Nova and Petit Ars to the cultural and social fabric of the territory.