By: CECÍLIA PIRES
YOUNG GUITAR players from the Orquestra Juvenil Guitarras do Algarve, young guitarists orchestra, are to perform their first regional official concert on Tuesday, July 24.
The event takes place at 10 pm in the Faro Theatre and all money raised by the performance will go to Programa Regional de Desporto Adaptado, a charity for the disabled living in the Algarve. This was created by the Faro Civil Governor to help all the organisations dealing with disabled people in the region.
The orchestra has prepared a special programme, which includes compositions by The Beatles and Metallica as well as some Portuguese guitar performers such as Carlos Paredes, Zeca Afonso and the traditional sound of the Bravos.
Works by Mozart and three original themes mixing the guitar sound and percussion, inspired in the Japanese Niibori academy, will also be performed. Initially, the orchestra only used classic guitars but instruments used now include bass, double bass, alto guitar and soprano guitar, all from Valencia in Spain.
Money for the instruments came from Vicentina, a regional association for development, and Instituto Português da Juventude, a national programme for youth, who are supporting the project along with the Faro Civil Governor and some local câmaras and private investors.
Professor Eudoro Grade, a music professor at the Music Conservatory in Faro and also a guitar player who has released several CDs, is the main promoter of the young guitar players Orchestra, through the Associação de Guitarras do Algarve (AGA), the regional association of guitar players.
“I like to believe this is a social and educational project that will bring culture and open the horizons for the young people living in the less developed areas”, he told The Resident.
Usually, he said, younger generations tend to reject their communities and family environment. “This project aims to involve all generations and different entities, with parents becoming very enthusiastic about their children’s musical projects.”
Members of the orchestra rehearse every week at their local clubs. They then meet up once a year to rehearse as the complete orchestra. For four days before Tuesday’s Faro concert, the musicians will be training in the Tavira military headquarters.
“Our ambition is to have all the Algarve districts participating with young musicians, regardless which nationality they are. “We now have many young music players who are Romanian, Dutch, British, German and, naturally, Portuguese”, said Eudoro Grade.
Tickets for the concert cost five euros “so that everybody can easily go”, said Eudoro Grade.
For more information about Eudoro Grade, please visit the website on the right. To contact the Young Guitar Players Orchestra call 919 751 338.
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