União de Aldeia de João Pires S. R. M

THE BEGINNING
At the beginning of the twentieth century, in a small village called Aldeia de João Pires, where most of the people had little education and spend their days working at the field, appeared a priest named José Maria Lopes Nogueira, who had a strong passion for music. Actually, some time after his arrival, the priest along with other men of the village had a great idea of create a philharmonic since there was many young people. As the priest had musical knowledge he volunteered to be the maestro and decided that philharmonic practices will start that summer of 1908. The population was very excited with the idea of having their own philharmonic at the village and so people reunited and the project gained wings.
At a period of time when people almost hadn’t bread to eat and money was scarce buying instruments was seen like a utopia. However, Mrs. Violante borrow 60 000 kings (epoch currency) from her sister´s heritage and by this way the priest could buy the instruments.
The philharmonic practices were in the house of the priest and in 1908 the first performance happens, which was accompanied a procession. The first group picture that was taken was in Medelim, a village near to João Pires in 1911.
At that time, the priest was persued by military and had to run out from Portugal going to Brazil. As a result of this situation, António Pires, a musician of the philharmonic, became maestro. Some years after, the priest Nogueira returns to João Pires.
In 1924 was born the society “ A União de Aldeia de João Pires” because was necessary not only becomes he philarmonic an legal association, but also try to build an headquarters.
In 1932, the benefactor José Matias Iná offered a terrain and as the musicians are also Masons and Carpenters, they volunteered themselves to build the headquarters and six years after appeared the first relevant document of this, a photo of the philharmonic in front of the headquarters.

1º. FIRST NOVEMBER
This day is the official day of commemorations of philharmonic band. The hymns are played and the musicians go through the village streets playing. After that, the musicians go to the church and to the cemetery where pray and pay tribute the one who died, ex-musicians, families or other elements who made part of the band.
In that day, the lunch is special and different. People are reunited in the building of band’s society. There are familiarity and friendship spirit between musicians, his families and important personalities to the band. Formerly, that lunch was made by musician’s mothers. At the end of the lunch every single musician receive an envelope with his own gains made by his work during this year.
As was said, the 1st of November is a special day for musicians and the main reason is the baptism.

OUR OLDEST TRADITION – BAPTISM
To become an effective member of the band, the musician pass through a ritual – baptism. That simple ritual it’s an analogy to catholic baptism. It symbolize a passage from an inicial phase of novice, to a phase of integration on the family.
The baptism only happens after the musician knows enough to be ready to play on the streets. After the baptism , the musician leave the designation of “maçarico” and it´s called “músico pronto” (“ready musician”).
This ritual happens on musician’s house, with his family. The maestro symbolize the priest and the older elements of the philharmonic light up the act of baptism with wine bottles, symbolizing the candles. Maestro throw a jar of cold water in musician’s head, while other musician, normally the oldest, scrub salt slowly in musician’s mouth. The musician who will be baptized chose a godmother or a godfather who gave him a nickname. That nickname his chosen by musician’s behavior or his personality until the day of his baptism. This nicknames are given affectionately because there are a friendship spirit lived by the elements of philharmonic.
After all that, the musicians go to the lunch party where could eat, drink and pass a little while.

THE PHILLARMONIC TODAY
The philharmonic is composed of 30 elements who play on the streets, women and men. Contrary to what happened in passed, the musicians are most of them young with ages between 11 and 25.
A philharmonic has a music school, formed by novices, especially children since 5 years old.
Our philharmonic sing on churches, play on processions, funeral ceremonies, carnival parades, philharmonic meetings, Christmas concerts end solidary concerts, etc.
Recently, Armindo Reis, businessman in Penamacor, offered a modern uniform totally new to the philharmonic. Has a different design and color than usual, it’s criticized by ones and loved by others. The philharmonic of Aldeia de João Pires goes to the street of blue and yellow.

TIES FROM PAST

- Whenever they went or came from their performances from other Villages they were received with rockets and joy;

- When the Villages where far away from Aldeia de João Pires the musicians went on foot or ridding a donkey;

- When the Philharmonic celebrated 50 years it wasn’t electricity yet so people of the village lighted up the streets with oil lamps and the the maestro of that time composed a song dedicated to the village – “Marcha da Aldeia de João Pires”;

- The Phillarmonic was found on 1908 , but only in 1977 girls could made part of it;

- In 75º anniversary was brought some philharmonic bands who joined to our band;

- In 2008 was celebrated its own anniversary - 100 years. 4 Philharmonic bands were invited to join us to the festivities. It was made a big parade with the 5 bands, it were more than 200 musicians who take the music by the streets of the village. All the bands invited played with us the song “Marcha de aldeia de João Pires”. It was a historic moment.