VII International Music Week, Barcelona 2015

As soon as we got back from Huesca, I got a message from Maricarmen Vasquez a member of our church and fellow choir member in Cornellà Ward, she told me that she would be participating in the "International Music Week" with her two sons and asked if I wanted to join them. International Music Week is a week long musical bootcamp, organized by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are also professional musicians. The event attracts musicians and singers from all over Europe and this year it would be held in Barcelona.

The week culminates with three public concerts. The first concert was to be held in Santa Maria del Pi, which is a beautiful 14th century church right in the heart of the Gothic quarters (Barri Gòtic) of Barcelona. The second concert would be held in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. How amazing would it be to sing with a choir in the Sagrada Familia!!! The last concert would be held at the Barcelona Stake Centre.

The Music Week started on Monday August 24th in the afternoon and there would be practices every morning and afternoon until the first concert on Friday August 28th. Bob was very supportive and looked after the kids allowing me to attend the practices. It wasn't easy. The music was much more complicated than I was used to. Fortunately for me, most of the songs were in English, although we did sing a couple of songs in Latin and in Spanish. It was fun meeting singers and musicians from many different countries: France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Australia and from all over Spain.

So many young amateur musicians performed along side seasoned professionals like Igor and Vesna Gruppman (Igor Gruppman is the conductor of the Temple Square Orchestra in the Utah). I dragged Ciara and Rylan with me to the concert at the Santa Maria del Pi and even Rylan was impressed. Bob came with all the kids to the concert at the Sagrada Familia on Saturday August 29th. It was inpiring being around so many young and talented musicians, made me wish I had practiced a little harder when I was a kid ;)