Concert Band Arrangement

Two Galician Folktunes

Terras Altas do Cebreiro and Foliada de Santiago, harmonized and arranged for concert band by Steven Light.

Concert BandTraditional Galician musicHarmonized and arranged by Steven Light, 2019
About the work

From highlands to dance.

Two Galician Folktunes brings together two contrasting melodies from Galicia, the northwestern region of Spain: the reflective Terras Altas do Cebreiro (“The Highlands of Cebreiro”) and the lively Foliada de Santiago (“Santiago Dance”).

Steven Light’s concert-band setting moves from the spacious, singing lines of the first tune to the bright, celebratory energy of the second, drawing on the color and rhythmic lift of Galician traditional music.

Both O Cebreiro and Santiago de Compostela are important places on the Camino de Santiago. Visit Kathy and Steven’s Camino presentation to see how this landscape and its music connect with their long walk across northern Spain.

Landscape at O Cebreiro in GaliciaView score & parts →

Landscape at O Cebreiro, Galicia, by Random username 083794703875938 — CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Program note

A mountain song and a gathering for music.

Terras Altas do Cebreiro takes its name from the high country around the historic village of O Cebreiro. A foliada is a traditional Galician gathering for music and dancing. The arrangement lets the first tune unfold at an Adagio pace before the second brings the suite to a quick, animated close.

Score video

Watch the score unfold.

This video pairs the audio with a scrolling score.