Two years ago in Granada, Spain, something truly magical happened for us as musicians, and it was also a moment that deeply touched my soul. It took place specifically at the Palace of Charles V in the heart of the Alhambra, a monumental space steeped in history and spirituality that is likely one of the most visited sites in Spain today, as it is, in fact, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yes, we had planned in advance to do a flash mob there, that “spontaneous” event where musicians suddenly start singing or playing among the crowd, but in the end, reality always exceeds expectations...
Perhaps the palace’s architecture is what made this moment unique in our lives and in the history of this magnificent place. As you can see in the photos, it is a large, high-ceilinged, circular stone hall, filled with columns, corridors, doors, a second level, and a large circular opening at the top. There are 90 of us singers, so our sound traveled to every corner of this building, giving us goosebumps even though we were the same performers, but after a while we realized that the sound had carried out of the building as if it were a giant amplifier. People were pleasantly surprised.
As you can see in the video I’ve shared above, there were a lot of people there, though I’m not sure if there were as many as us. They were just as amazed, even though we did it to surprise the tourists, we were actually really surprised by the acoustics ourselves. Personally, I was never quite sure if we had permission to sing here 😅 I remember that one of the security guards at the venue tried to approach our director with an annoyed look on his face, but then the guys from our management caught up with him, and we were able to perform a second song after this one...
The music in this video is called O Salutaris Hostia, and was composed by the Lithuanian composer Vytautas Miškinis. We have a special arrangement where the bass voices sing the chorus in unison while the women spread out to every corner of the venues where we perform; but to make this moment even more surprising, we were all scattered throughout the Carlos V Palace to create the impression that we were tourists just like everyone else. The music simulates prayers from people in different parts of the world, and the girls’ prayers are ad libitum—each one sings in her own time and at her own pace. It’s pure magic...
I always really enjoy my #TBT posts, but this Thursday, sharing this video and these photos I still had from my visit to the Carlos V Palace at the Alhambra has left me with a wonderful feeling. This trip to Granada took place on Friday, March 22, 2024—two years ago—and I still hold onto everything I learned and experienced, embracing it with all my heart. Moments from the past that shape who we are today, and I’m glad we continue to build upon those solid foundations filled with love, study, and effort, so let’s go for more in the name of God 🙏
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