The words of Conductor of La Principal de la Bisbal

 "I have an image in my memory that will stay with me forever: we are in the Girona Auditorium –a splendid setting- and are being recorded by Estudi 44.1 –what great professionals! It’s the first day of recording and I have a string orchestra in front of me looking at me with attention. The cobla, in the front, have taken hold of their instruments and are all ready. Pellicer, right at the back, looks at his score and at me too, with his drumsticks ready for the first bang of the drum. Melanie, the harp player, on her own off to the side and slightly raised, looks like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Off we go then!

I have an unknown musical quantity in front of me (an innovation!!! as Josep Lagares would say) that I’m impatient to solve. I raise my arms, close my eyes and lower my arms again. The machine starts to work, finely tuned; each component, each gear doing what it is supposed to do. I’m not yet rehearsing; I’m just listening to the initial result; they say that first impressions are everything. I don’t stop till we reach the end. I don’t know what Avi Xaxu would make of this “Bona festa”. I imagine he would be ironically smiling, with his guitar at his side. I lower my arms. The musicians also lower their instruments and look at me. Some of them nodding a yes with their head.

I turn towards the stalls and look at who’s there: Carles Coll, Marc Timón, Albert Guinovart, Josep Cassú... All of them smile at me and make clear gestures of approval. Lagares, the father, is breathing calmly. They’re probably all thinking the same thing as I am: This works!”