Light to Thousands: The Ballad of Galvez —2003

Light to Thousands: The Ballad of Galvez was composed for tenor Gabriel Reoyo-Pazos and the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, directed by Enrique Arturo Diemecke.  The aria was created to be a part of a celebration of the life of Spanish General Bernardo Galvez, which took place in Long Beach, California on October 12, 2003.

The text of the aria is a substantially edited version of an epic poem about Galvez’s heroic deeds as a leader.  By removing all the specific details of his life (which would be too lengthy to capture in a short aria), I found myself focusing on the emotional qualities of his character, thus making the aria more universal in nature.

Reviews

Maggio, in English, hymned the governor’s military successes in powerful and finally heroic tones in “Light to Thousands: The Ballad of Galvez.” It was a thoughtful, deeply moving piece, embracing both sadness at Galvez’s death and triumph at his accomplishments.

John Farrell, Long Beach Press Telegram, October 13, 2003