Concierto de Aranjuez, 2nd Movement

Malachi Stamoolis, guitar; Naomi Stamoolis, English horn; Kaleb Stamoolis, tenor saxophone; Joel Stamoolis, cello; Theo Stamoolis, double bass

Song by Joaquin Rodrigo, arranged by Joel Stamoolis

Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo wrote this concerto, his most famous work, in 1939 while living in Paris. In a politically tumultuous time, he remembers the evening on which he first conceived the piece: “The scene has remained engraved in my mind, because that evening constituted a pleasant memory in my life, and a moment of calm in those times that were not at all peaceful for Spain and indeed threatening for Europe.” The second movement of his concerto especially evokes this sense of calm in time of war. Likewise, the Holy Spirit can bear the fruit of peace and gentleness in our lives, even in the midst of turmoil.