National Armed Forces orchestra concert.

With the coming of a talented Baviera orchestra director. This day the scenary got poured by accoustic epic sound. Where the Armed Forces orchestra with their gorgeous latvian red outfit (and the director wearing the german outfit) played several pieces from the romantic Johannes Brahms, also the romantic and famous Richard Strauss (hyper-famous for those minutes from "Thus spoke Zarathrusta") and some more contemporary pieces of music, moslty from german composers.
The most notorious piece that the orchestra played in this event for me was a piece which was composed to conmemorate the fallen men in the Battle of Somme in WWI, heartwarming.

Here´s the orchestra with the german and latvian flags in the background:

The first melody to be played was the latvian anthem. Everyone, including the musicians, stood up:

...and even I was able to hear some people from the audience whispering the lyrics of the athem. It´s interesting as in Spain you wouldn´t hear that...because Spain´s anthem has no lyrics...and spanish are not very patriotic as it´s the current cool mainstream way to be citizen (I prefer to don´t say anything else about this)..

Some classical...well...actually, I mean 19th century...no, chamber music! Listening chamber music in the centre is something very nice. And having in mind that the small Armed Forces of Latvia have a that big orchestra actually things make them very nice...and more patriotic than in my country, which basically can be anything. I talked about this again, but honestly, it´s the first very impression I get, even when the orchestra director is from another country bu still wears proudly his homeland military outfit.

Lil´ vocalist contest "Cālis 2016"

This sunday at the VERY fitting hour of lunch (at 13:00) there was a kids show and contest called "Cālis 2016". So a children show means a show for children and their parents...

...and maybe it´s because spring is coming and Easter as well but the scenario was filled with eggs and rabbits. And flowers! because Latvia loves flowers!...

...and animals, of course! so the presenters are again friendly animals. No, it´s not because is a children show, I´ve got to say, as the animal affair persists in adult persons as well. Yes, here, a lot. I don´t have anything against altghought it could look like that because I always notice it; no, all the opposite, I wish other bigger nations were with that "animals always in mind" style.

So, basically this event consisted in kids singing in solo several different songs, happy songs. Yes, the event was much like that, people REALLY like song and dance here! Being a kids contest you could see, however, what Latvia represents most: singing, flowers and animals.

Flowers prepared for giving as presents

And here´s one of the presenters. An anomalous big rabbit!

I wonder where the atrezzo comes from, as never saw it backwards. Also, look at the size of those eggs!

This performance was particular for me because the guitar playing. When most of the other numbers were wih piano accompaniment.

For me this number was the funnier one(in a good way I mean), as the outfit had like some cohesion with the song and, of course, it´s a different outfit rather than a fancy dress too!

And we can see here the protagonists between the terraces. Cooking up something against humans...

Pleasant verbena with the band "Galaktika"

To celebrate the incoming of the spring (pavasaris) this saturday night there was a fancy party in the Culture Centre of Valmiera (whenever I mention "Culture Centre" remember that is the one in Valmiera all the time) with the musical feat of the group "Galaktika":

 

Here, you can see them, the group "Galaktika".

Well, it was a party, yes, but not the kind of party I would to stay in honestly. The reason is that this party was more like a smooth verbena couple dancing, fitting for tanning adults and married couples...and I don´t have any of them. Don´t feel bad for that. It´s that is not the type of things I like. In my country and in my village it´s usual to have these concerts in local festivities of each village, which are focused to people of grown ages (let´s say this), and I´ve got the memories of coming to them when I was a small kid going with my grandma to them.

Anyway, good to go, as the restaurant in the other side of the wall was open for the guests. It was curious however that at the end it turned to be a couple party (which differs from the "typical concerts in my village" by the way). Nah, it was fine but not for my taste. And also, the songs were in latvian; goood.

More close-ups and one "far-up" of the group, where their specialty was the synthesizer.

And this is the panorama, as I said upwards. I don´t have anything against it, ok? it was actually fine and I appreciated that the restaurant was open for costumers. But if you have a couple, this was the night to stay a bit more linked!

Cello concert

And more particular instruments concert comes! this time is about cellos (to clear your minds, it´s the third "violin family" instrument in size). Well, another concert I could say, another visit. Anyway, with the cellos there was the company of a drum set, to add more action and modernism.

Yes, and also there was some speech, but as far as I almost don´t understand latvian (it´s a shame, fine, but it´s my business after all) I couldn´t comment anything about it.

Ok, there go the pictures:

 

Aside of the drums company, there was also some bell company.

And not too much to say, a normal concert, maybe I just got habit of concerts. Althought cello sounds like heaven when mixed with the correct instruments, and drums is one of the correct choices...and bells, too.

Notice also, that aside of some classical pieces, they mostly played some more urban popular songs such the main them of the movie "Ghostbusters" or the 80s iconic song "Take on me" (it has an interesting videoclip, by the way).

For me it relaxed for a while. After all, these concerts last 1 hour and a half mostly and they help you to evade for a while, unless you have to take notes.

Oh, yes! and one little marginal note: again, public clapping synchronized! yes! claps clapping at the same time most of them! I´m not habited to that.

Fading black for playing "The Final Countdown" to end the show.