Sotto Voce
MUSIC A LA CARTE
The chamber ensemble Sotto Voce came into existence 15 years ago thanks to Pedro Miguel Aguinaga, a violinist who has dedicated his life to music for 30 years, successfully combining performance with teaching at the Francisco Escudero Conservatory of San Sebastián. Sotto Voce arose with the intention of offering live music to individuals and businesses during events, cocktail parties, banquets, religious ceremonies, and –above all– weddings.
The solid training of the members of the group, with extensive experience playing all kinds of styles (traditional, folk, pop, jazz, tango, etc.), has allowed them to have a broad repertoire with which they have helped to liven up the atmosphere at events all over Spain, France, and Portugal.
In terms of marriages, Sotto Voce proposes a series of songs for each phase of the wedding. Civil weddings begin with the entry of the guests and the groom, followed by the entrance of the bride, the readings, the exchange of rings, the signatures, and the exit; and the repertoire for this process includes composers and groups like Metallica, John Lennon, Handel, Benito Lertxundi, Ken Zazpi, and James Horner. Religious weddings, which include an offertory and communion, have a more classic repertoire, with pieces like “Alleluia” by Mozart, “gloria” by Vivaldi, and the Air of Bach’s “Suite No. 3 in D major.”
For the cocktail party and the banquet, the bride and groom can choose the most appropriate style for their wedding: classical, opera, soundtracks, tango, bolero, and Basque music, whose dissemination is very important to Sottovoce. Among the local composers and groups whose songs they interpret are Xabier Lete, Mikel Laboa, Itoiz, Txomin Artola, and Hertzainak. Opera lovers can enjoy the most famous arias and overtures of Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, and Massenet, while lovers of the cinema can hum the unforgettable soundtracks of Amélie, Casablanca, Doctor Zhivago, the Godfather, and The Last of the Mohicans. Traditional Argentine tangos and boleros as famous as Bésame Mucho and Contigo Aprendí are some of the most requested songs for the banquet. In addition to the aforementioned repertoire, over the fifteen years that the group has played at weddings, Sottovoce has also interpreted a plethora of special request from couples and guests, amongst them are songs by Celine Dion, Eric Clapton, Enya, The Beatles, and Bon Jovi.
No matter what style is chosen, being able to listen to Pedro Miguel play his Benjamin Banks violin from the eighteenth century is a true delight; however, the most important thing is to enjoy the impeccable performance in the best of company.