Michael Udow

Chorus and String Orchestra

Composer's Note:

Iberian Images was commissioned by Edeta Arts, John Crozman, CEO, in recognition of Llíria, Spain is designated as a UNESCO City of Music. It was one of ten works I composed for the city.

Each of the compositions were intended to be performed in various locations around Llíria, including concert halls and archeological sites that dateback to Iberian, Arabian, and Roman times. While each work hints at musical forms, rhythms,harmonies and traditional folk melodies of Llíria; each composition also includes musical concepts from other cultures outside the province of Valencia, integrating the UNESCO designation recognizing a small group of cities from around the world that have distinguished themselves as Cities of Music whereby music is historically interwoven and into the fabric of the community's culture. Iberian Images was composed as an emotional response to my visit to Llíria in December 2022.

After Christian King Jaime I's conquest of the region, the Iglesia de la Sangre church was constructed in 1238. Built upon the ruins of an old mosque, the church reflects the transitionfrom the Romanesque to the Gothic period. Walking uphill on an ancient cobblestone path, one sees the bell tower, which beckons one to enter the carved heavy wooden doors of the church, revealing wide Gothic stone arches. These arches
support wooden ceiling with polychromatic Mudéjar images containing scenes of chivalry, medieval flora, fauna, and approximately twenty musical instruments. I had the unique experience of visiting the choir loft and climbing the steep claustrophobic inner passageway to the belfry with the town's Campanista. Overlooking Llíria with a 360-degree view from this unique vantage point, I began to understand and appreciate the historical and cultural importance of Llíria.

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