In the photo (from left to right): Javier del Cura (hermit brotherhood), Mikel Pagola (president of the foundation) and Julio Ayerra (secretary).
Obanos hosts the 6th edition of the Arnotegui National Competition of Medieval and Renaissance Choral Music
On Saturday, May 17, the Navarrese town of Obanos will once again become a meeting point for lovers of early music with the sixth edition of the Arnotegui National Medieval and Renaissance Choral Music Competition. The competition, organized by the Misterio de Obanos Foundation, this year pays tribute to Juan Manuel Rubio, the driving force behind a project that has become a must-see event in the Spanish choral calendar.
“Juan Manuel’s passing has left us somewhat bereft, but we are moving forward, putting all our efforts into organizing a competition that generates great interest,” said Javier del Cura during the presentation of the event, held today at the Gayarre Theater. Del Cura, theater director and member of the Brotherhood of the Hermits of Arnotegui, was accompanied at the presentation by Julio Ayerra, secretary of the Mystery of Obanos Foundation, and Mikel Pagola, the new president elected last November to replace Rubio.
Three choirs and a high-level jury
The event will take place at the parish church of San Juan Bautista de Obanos. Three exceptional groups, selected by the competition’s artistic committee for the quality of their performances, will perform on stage: Coral Capella Gramalla (Barcelona), Coral del Camino (Burgos), and Coral La Espadaña (Ayllón, Segovia).
The jury responsible for awarding the competition prizes is composed of three renowned professionals in the choral field: Jorge Apodaca Aisa, baritone, choir director, music therapist, and cultural manager (replacing Elena Ruiz, who is absent for personal reasons and whose name appears in the program); Pau de Luis Alba, a specialist in choral conducting, piano, and composition, and professor at the Valencia Conservatory of Music; and Iñigo Casalí, a Navarrese flautist, singer, composer, and choir director, professor at the Pablo Sarasate Conservatory and current director of the Atarrabia Abasbatza Choir.
It should be noted that this year the prize money has been increased, with €1,500, €1,000, and €700 respectively, in addition to the €200 awarded to the choir chosen by the public. The jury will also award a diploma to the best choral conducting.
As is traditional, the competition will also feature a performance by a guest group from outside the competition, which will liven up the evening during the jury’s deliberations. This time, it will be the Maladanza Ensemble, specialized in the performance of Spanish, European, and Sephardic music from the 11th to the 16th centuries, using antique instruments handcrafted by the group’s members.
Román Felones, a member of the Mystery Board representing Navarre’s cultural circles, will also speak at the event, praising the figure of Juan Manuel Rubio.
The choral competition, with free admission, will take place on Saturday, May 17, at the Church of San Juan Bautista de Obanos and will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Mikel Pagola, new president: “I approach this position with the challenge of modernizing representation and working towards its recovery.”
Elected from among the members of the Arnotegui Hermits’ Brotherhood, Mikel Pagola has been president of the Obanos Mystery Foundation since last November, replacing Juan Manuel Rubio. It is now up to him to direct the future of this entity, which he is undertaking by continuing the modernization of the libretto already begun, “while maintaining the poetic style of the original,” he
explained.
Another challenge for the new president is to call a referendum to assess the neighborhood’s involvement in the show, “because the Mystery does not belong to the Foundation, but to the people,” he stated, “and we need to know the neighborhood’s feelings to continue working to recover it and present it as the great show it was and can continue to be.” In its most recent editions, two decades ago, audiences exceeded 6,500 people at each performance, making The Mystery of Obanos the play with the largest audience in Navarre.
Funding is the main obstacle to the revival of this theatrical performance by the residents of Obanos, which tells the medieval legend of Felicia and Guillén. The Mystery of Obanos Foundation has been working hard to find solutions since 2008.
Renting the foundation’s rich collection of more than a thousand costumes provides a source of income that allows the organization to maintain its headquarters in Obanos and organize cultural activities such as the choir competition. However, staging The Mystery would require a considerable financial investment, which could only be achieved with the determined support of the public authorities.