Suite 2020 for Wind Orchestra

Suite 2020 is the first musical project of the Musica pro Populo composers team. The idea was to compose a four-part suite of different character and meaning, but united by the memory of the pandemic and overcoming it. The duration of each part of the Suite is in between four to five minutes length, referring to the folk music of each country, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Composed for symphonic band, in a medium difficulty grade so that applies to the performing standards of the average European bands.

El Baile de la Esperanza (O Chorós tis Elpídas). Elpída (Hope, Esperanza) is the belief that one has both the will and the way or the conditions to achieve his own goals, whatever they may be. According to the legend of Pandora, princess of ancient Greece, whose Gods gave her a mysterious box because of jealousy for her beauty. But she had been warned never to open the box. One day Pandora could not stand the temptation and defeated by her curiosity to see what was in the box, she lost her self-control and opened its lid. Then the great sufferings were released into the world uncontrollably: war, famine, disease and madness. By divine help, Pandora closed the box and managed to keep the only antidote that made human suffering miserable: Elpída (Hope). El Baile de la Esperanza (O Chorós tis Elpídas) is a work of program music that tries to describe the current situation that humanity is experiencing due to Covid-19 pandemic. Wanting to illustrate the historical unity of the Greek area, musical idioms from the Byzantine and popular tradition are combined with ancient greek modality to link music with ancient times.

Timor et spes begins with a glockenspiel solo that recalls the origin of the pandemic. From there, the first section ("timor", fear) is developed in the form of a modified canon. This section is of a sad nature, reflecting the terrible consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. A trumpet solo follows to announce confidence in better times and gives way to the second section. This second section ("spes", hope). has a more joyful and lively character. It uses a modified zapateado rhythm and two references to Andalusian cadence. 

Entre as Brumas da Memória o Covid-19 passará à história is a movement with simple melodies that intend to portray the various pictures of the pandemic in Portugal. Thus, initially the festive post-Carnival atmosphere is presented, followed by news of the pandemic in Europe and the World. The ringing of the bells that describe the environment, the concerns and the rules followed to combat Covid- 19 appear. With unstable percentage barometers, musical modes also describe these shifting scenarios that range from sinister to entertainers. However, as hope continues to prevail, we are gradually moving towards a festive atmosphere, ending with victory in Portugal and in the world. 

Vittoria Sul Nemico Invisibile is a piece composed during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic where all the musicians, like the vast majority of the world population, were forced to stay at home to block the expansion of the virus - a period that surely made us reflect on the future of humanity and on how we want to continue our journey in a world that we share with other living beings.