Organizers called it, ‘the concert,’ because Nosara had never seen a performance like it before. On April 28 the 25th of July Symphony performed in Nosara at the Catholic Church to a packed audience. The music spilled off the alter, over the crowd, and out onto Nosara’s streets.
The 25th of July Symphony, which is based out of Nicoya and is comprised of music students from the area, preformed a selection of classical songs as well as folk music from Costa Rica and Guanacaste. Those songs received a whole orchestra remake.
The concert was organized by the community service committee at Del Mar Academy, which is made up of parents of students who attend Del Mar.
Gerardo Brenes, one of the organizers on the committee, said they wanted to bring something cultural and unique to Nosara. There was also great care taken to make sure that the show was accessible for everyone. By hosting the concert at the church in Nosara central, at six in the evening on a Saturday and charging nothing, they figured the attendance numbers would be higher.
Brenes was pleased with the turnout, “We had a lovely night were members of our community, from all nationalities, and the local nosareños came with their families and enjoyed a great performance,” he said.
The capacity of the church is about 400, every seat was filled and organizers had to add plastic chairs to accommodate the extra numbers.
For many in Nosara this was the first time they had seen a show like this.
Maria Chacon, was one of the attendees near the back of the church. She said she enjoyed the evening. “It’s very nice, although it would be better if people didn’t come inside in the middle of the show, it’s distracting,” she said, referring to the fact that many people arrived late.
She also commented saying this would have been a great event for other schools in the area to bring their kids to see. Overall though, she was pleased with the performance.
The concert was absolutely free, and the community service committee was able to cover their costs for the night by asking for donations, they had over 30 sponsors from the community.
The event was unique for Nosara, we’re usually treated to reggae stars not classical music. But the turnout suggests that Noseraños value access to culture, and hopefully there will be many more concerts to come. |
