Have you ever wondered why in Spain they like Holy Week so much? What meaning does it have?
First of all, to understand the devotion towards religious images, we must understand that they are sacred images, many of them beatified by the Pope of Rome himself, and above all that they are very old, they have been in procession for centuries. Understanding this, we must also understand that for the Sevillian, these images are the faithful representation of Jesus Christ on earth. And it is the only way that Sevillians have to physically and with praise appreciate Jesus and his Mother, the Virgin Mary.
It is believed that they began to come out so that the people, who did not know how to read, could understand with representations what the passion of Christ was.
La Madrugá sevillana is the most important and special night of Holy Week in Seville. It is the night of Holy Thursday to Good Friday, when six brotherhoods go out in procession with their corresponding Nazarenes. These brotherhoods are: El Silencio, El Gran Poder, La Macarena, El Calvario, La Esperanza de Triana and Los Gitanos. Each of them has its own route, schedule and itinerary.
These brotherhoods tend to be the most revered by Sevillians, more than those of other days. especially for the Great Power and the two Hopes (Macarena and Triana). They are the three most famous brotherhoods of all the holy weeks in the world. And only they bring together one of the largest musical repertoires that exist in the processional and musical world. Revered in many countries, Seville becomes the center of the Christian world during that week and especially on that day.
Then another image that can impact the tourist is the resemblance of the Nazarenes to the Klu Klux Klan. Wrong vision, the Nazarenes have been processioning during Holy Week for many centuries before the KKK, it is believed that the KKK was inspired by Spanish Holy Week to imitate the “túnica” and “capirote”.
“La Madrugá” (march) is one of the most famous and emblematic musical compositions of spanish Holy Week in Seville. It was created in 1987 by the musician Abel Moreno, and narrates the events that take place on the night of Thursday to Good Friday, when six brotherhoods parade through the streets of the city.
The march has several fragments that represent different moments and scenes of the early morning, such as the departure of the Silencio brotherhood, the passage of the Great Power through the street of its name, the conversation between the two Esperanzas (Macarena and Triana), the dawn of Good Friday and the entry of the last brotherhood, that of the Gypsies (los Gitanos).
The early morning march is a work of great beauty and depth, which expresses the religious sentiment and cultural tradition of Seville. It is considered an anthem of Holy Week, and has been performed and recorded by numerous bands and orchestras, both in Spain and in other countries.
“The sound of the Passion”
Theme of the “La Madrugá” March
0:00 - 0:23: Introduction of the march, which represents the silence and darkness of the night before the processions begin.
0:23 - 1:42: First song, which evokes the departure of the Brotherhood of Silence.
1:42 - 2:59: Second theme, which alludes to the Lord of Great Power. Passage of the Brotherhood of the Great Power through the Plaza de San Lorenzo.
2:59 - 4:29: Third theme, which remembers the departure of the Brotherhood of Calvary through the Plaza de la Magdalena, with the Christ of Calvary.
4:29 - 4:40: Fourth theme, which refers to the Virgin Macarena.
4:40- 4:50: Fifth theme, which commemorates the Virgin of Hope of Triana.
5:10 - 5:47: Sixth theme, which symbolizes the communion of the two Hopes; The Macarena and the Hope of Triana in a single virgin.
5:50 - 6:07: Seventh theme, represents 5:00 in the morning and the entrance of the Brotherhood of Silence with the sound of two bells, one for each step.
6:07 - 6:37: Eighth theme, Represents the Dawn of the two Hopes. In a kind of allegory to the resurrection of Christ. For their neighborhoods respectively.
6:37 - 7:01: Ninth theme, the trumpets sound and represents the Brotherhood of the Gypsies returning to their Temple.
7:01 - 7:24: Represents the entry of the Madrugá brotherhoods into their temples.