Activities

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 12 | 20:15h

March 12
San Esteban Chamber Choir
Director: César Zumel Vaquero
Church of Saint Agatha
8:15 p.m.

Programme

1. The Mount of Olives / The Prayer in the Garden

• Invitatory Psalm 94 – Archive of Burgos Cathedral

• Invitatory Psalm 94 (Proclamation of San Lesmes) – P. Mª de la Iglesia

• Benedictus – S. Giner

2. Mount Golgotha / The Cross

• Tebe Poem – D. Bortniansky

• Requiem – E. Antón

• Sepulto Domino – T. L. de Victoria

• Señor, me cansa la vida – J. A. García

• O salutaris – L. van Beethoven

3. Mount Golgotha / The Descent from the Cross

• TVA Amen – T. L. de Victoria

• Ave Regina Caelorum – Archive of Burgos Cathedral

• Saeta Requiem – A. Machado / J. M. Serrat / C. Zumel

• Adoramus Te – T. Dubois

Programme Notes

Three moments of Holy Week, three scenes, two settings.

1. On the Mount of Olives: prayer, invitation to contemplation, praise, and thanksgiving. Everything had been foretold, yet no one seemed to understand what was to come.

2. On Mount Golgotha injustice reaches its climax—arbitrariness, denial, the Cross. It ends in a silence that prompts reflection: is the voice we hear truly our own, or is it the Voice?

3. At Golgotha stand the Mother, the Baptist, and the faithful people. There is sorrow, but also hope. What seems an ending is in fact a beginning. The ladder in the Descent becomes a metaphor: to go down, and to rise.

About the Choir

Founded in 1972, the San Esteban Chamber Choir of Burgos is closely linked to emblematic sites along the historic route of Burgos’ nobles and merchants: originally the Church of San Esteban, later Saint Nicholas of Bari and Saint Agatha, and today also Saint Lawrence, Saint Giles, the Cathedral, and the Palace of Castilfalé, among others.

Over its 53-year history, the choir has cultivated a strong affinity for Renaissance music—its original hallmark—while expanding its repertoire to include 20th-century polyphony and contemporary live creation. The ensemble has worked extensively with works from the Burgos Cathedral Archive, with several members participating in archival research.

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 13 | 20:15h

Children Jesus Choir

Director: Nacho Díez Iglesia
Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian
8:15 p.m.

Programme

• Omnis Una – U. Sisask

• O Sacrum Convivium – Luigi Molfino

• Ave Maria – J. G. Rheinberger

• Ave Maria Guaraní (The Mission) – arr. Ángel Portal

• Ave Maria (Giulio Caccini) – arr. Ángel Portal

• Mille regretz – Josquin des Prés

• Locus Iste – Anton Bruckner

• Regina Caeli (anonymous) – transcr. Federico Olmeda

• Brother (The Mission) – arr. Ángel Portal

• Dona Nobis Pacem – Mark A. Miller

• Adiemus (Karl Jenkins) – arr. Ángel Portal

About the Choir

The Children Jesus Choir proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary—two decades of music, dedication, and commitment. It was founded in 2004 by a group of parents from the school that gives the choir its name, with the aim of enjoying singing and sharing music together.

Under the direction of Nacho Díez Iglesia, who has led the ensemble since its beginnings, the choir has grown and evolved with passion and consistency.

Its wide-ranging repertoire reflects both versatility and musical quality, encompassing sacred works, traditional pieces, and contemporary compositions.

This twentieth anniversary is not only an opportunity to recall shared experiences but also to thank all those who have been part of the choir over the years, and especially to acknowledge the tireless dedication of Nacho Díez Iglesia, whose commitment has been essential to the success and continuity of this meaningful project.

Exhibition – 27th Holy Week 2026 Photography Competition

From March 19 to April 12

Venue: Exhibition Hall, Teatro Principal

Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sundays: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays and public holidays

Organized by: Holy Week Board of Burgos

Free admission.

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 19 | 20:00h

Burgos Youth Orfeón

Director: Ana Isabel Ayala Francés
Church of Saint Joseph the Worker
8:00 p.m.

Programme

• Three Contemporary Latin Settings – Jerry Estes

• Lully, Lulla, Lullay – Philip W. J. Stopford

• Omnia Vincit Amor – Jerry Estes

• Pater Noster – Xabier Sarasola

• If You Have Faith – Stephen Schwartz

• Jubilate Deo – Josu Elberdin

• The Lord Bless You and Keep You – John Rutter

• Requiem – Eliza Gilkyson

• Exultate in Seven – Andi Beck

• Northern Lights – Ola Gjeilo

• Da Pacem Domine – Javier Centeno

• Nidaros Jazz Mass – Bob Chilcott

  • Kyrie

  • Sanctus

• Sing Alleluia, Clap Your Hands – Sally Albrecht

• We Are the Voices – Jim Papoulis

About the Choir

Founded in April 2014 by its director, Ana Ayala Francés, the Burgos Youth Orfeón currently consists of 32 members, most drawn from its children’s choir, aged between 15 and 28.

The ensemble has given numerous concerts in Burgos and its province. In 2016 it was selected to participate in the 17th Antigua Abesbatzak Lehiaketa Choral Competition. It has toured Germany at the invitation of the Christophorus Kantorei and the Kopernikus Chamber Choir, and has recently performed in cities such as Zaragoza, Santander, Vitoria, and Logroño.

The choir has collaborated frequently with the Orfeón Burgalés and the Burgos Symphony Orchestra, performing works such as Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Rutter’s Magnificat, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy at the Fórum Evolución Auditorium in Burgos.

In December 2019, marking the 125th anniversary of the Orfeón Burgalés, it released a pop music album from the 1970s titled Recuerdos, featuring arrangements of songs by The Beatles, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Queen, ABBA, Nino Bravo, Serrat, and Mocedades, among others.

In 2024 and 2025, the choir performed with the Valladolid Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Miguel Delibes Auditorium in Valladolid and the National Music Auditorium in Madrid, interpreting works by Beethoven, Salieri, and Joaquín Rodrigo.

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 20 | 20:15h

Vadillos Chamber Choir

Director: Raquel Rodríguez Fernández
Church of Saint Martin de Porres
8:15 p.m.

Programme

• Nearer, My God, to Thee – Lowell Mason (18th-century English chorale)

• Deep River – R. Spencer (traditional spiritual)

• I’m Gonna Sing – traditional spiritual

• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – traditional spiritual

• O Sanctissima – 18th-century Marian hymn

• In Monte Oliveti – Fr. I. Prieto

• Locus Iste – A. Bruckner

• Tenebrae Factae Sunt – M. Haydn

• Eli, Eli – G. D. Bárdos

• Stabat Mater – Z. Kodály

• Notre Père – M. Duruflé

• Lauda Sion – Pedro Mª de la Iglesia

• Hymnus – Pedro Mª de la Iglesia

About the Choir

Vadillos Chamber Choir is a group with strong musical training and extensive choral experience. Several of its members are professionally active in the field of music and also participate as instrumentalists, singers, or conductors in other ensembles in Burgos. The choir holds the honorary title of “Good Neighbor of the City of Burgos.”

Although most members are from Burgos, the universality of music has enabled the integration of singers from different regions and countries throughout its 40-year history. The choir has received various awards and recognitions that have strengthened its commitment to choral music.

Particular care is given to works by composers from Burgos and Castile and León—from Tomás Luis de Victoria to Javier Centeno, Pedro Mª de la Iglesia, Alejandro Yagüe, and Miguel Ángel Palacios—while also embracing a wide range of styles and periods.

The ensemble has developed its own distinctive style under successive directors: Pedro Mª de la Iglesia, Alberto Hortigüela, Roberto Martínez, César Zumel (current assistant conductor), Alberto Carrera, Alfonso Gil, Elena Ramírez, and its present director, Raquel Rodríguez.

Vadillos Chamber Choir has performed internationally in England, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal. In Spain, it has toured Galicia, singing the Pilgrim’s Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, participated in the 17th Logroño Choral Music Competition, and given Christmas concerts in Cabezón de la Sal (Cantabria).

The choir has also organized several choral music seminars, hosting renowned teachers such as Julio Domínguez, Javier Busto, Enrique Azurza, David Azurza, Óscar Gershensohn, Alicia Amo, and Javier Castro.

It has participated in the Proclamation of San Lesmes (notably in 2003, 2007, 2009, and again in 2025) and has frequently taken part in the Holy Week Proclamation in Burgos, including the 2008 performance of Missa Brevis op. 194 for choir, soloists, and string orchestra at Burgos Cathedral, and again in 2024 alongside the University Choir and Orchestra of Burgos.

In 2024, the choir celebrated its 40th anniversary with various events, including a commemorative concert featuring former directors and singers, reaffirming its identity as a close-knit musical family.

The choir regularly participates in concert series organized by the Burgos Choral Federation and the City Council of Burgos, including Christmas, Holy Week, and the “Sundays at the Espolón” cycle.

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 21 | 20:15h

Canticorum Choir of Jesús–María

Director: Begoña García Sáez
Church of San Gil Abad
8:15 p.m.

Programme

Choral Mass – Anton Bruckner

• Kyrie

• Sanctus

• Agnus Dei

• Locus Iste – Anton Bruckner

• Ave Verum Corpus – W. A. Mozart

• O Sacrum Convivium – Luigi Molfino

• Ave María – Giulio Caccini

• Ubi Caritas – Ola Gjeilo

• Gabriel’s Oboe – Ennio Morricone

• Da Pacem Domine – Javier Centeno

• Ave María – Antonio José

• Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen

• You Raise Me Up – B. Graham & R. Løvland

• The Pure in Heart – Patrick Hawes

• Oh Happy Day – Edwin R. Hawkins

About the Choir

The Canticorum Choir of Jesús–María was founded in 2000 by former students, parents, teachers, and choral music enthusiasts from the Jesús-María School.

Over time, the choir has consolidated and expanded its musical quality and stylistic range, guided by its directors Ricardo Quintanilla (founding conductor), Eva María González, Begoña García, and Jesús Garoz.

Its repertoire includes classical polyphony, sacred and secular works, traditional and contemporary music, as well as compositions by Burgos composers such as Federico Olmeda, Antonio José, Juan Quesada, and César Zumel.

The choir participates in and organizes the annual Jesús-María Choir Gatherings, held in cities including Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Macael (Almería), Madrid, and Burgos.

It has performed in Tours (France), Bilbao, and in auditoriums, theatres, and churches throughout Burgos and neighboring provinces, collaborating in numerous cultural and choral events.

The ensemble actively participates in projects organized by the Burgos Choral Federation (Fecobur), including participatory performances of Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and El Mozo de Mulas by Antonio José, as well as cultural initiatives promoted by the City Council of Burgos such as the White Night, Sacred Music Cycles, and Christmas Concerts.

The choir consists of 30 mixed voices whose enthusiasm sustains its musical and personal growth.

It is directed by Mª Begoña García Sáez, accompanied by Jesús Garoz Ruiz on piano and Samuel Horrillo on violin.

Processional Music Festival at the Teatro Principal of Burgos

March 22 | 6:00 p.m.

Teatro Principal – Burgos
March 22, 2026
6:00 p.m.

The Teatro Principal will host the Processional Music Festival on March 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., bringing the sound of Burgos Holy Week back to the stage as a prelude to the celebrations.

At 5:30 p.m., participating bands will parade from Plaza del Rey San Fernando, beside the Cathedral, to the Teatro Principal.

Participating Ensembles

• Tamborcitos

• Coronación de Espinas y Cristo Rey

• Círculo Musical Burgos y sus Niños

• Santísimo Sacramento y Jesús con la Cruz a Cuestas

• Soledad y Santiago

• Jesús Crucificado y Santísimo Sacramento

• Sangre del Cristo de Burgos

Tickets are available via the Bacantix platform and at the Teatro Principal box office.
Admission: €5

Ticket link:
https://bacantix.com/Entradas/WebForms/Forms/Venta.aspx?id=TeleEntradasCB&codigo=000026001001946002929

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 28 | 20:30h

Liceo Castilla Choir

Director: Isidro Rodríguez Llorente
Church of Brother San Rafael
8:30 p.m.

Programme

• Ubi Caritas et Amor – Gregorian chant

• Sanctus – Franz Schubert

• Si me levantare – T. M. P. de la Figuera

• Panis Angelicus – César Franck

• Signore delle Cime – Giuseppe de Marzi

• Dona Nobis Pacem – W. A. Mozart

• Quédate con nosotros – M. A. Palacios

• Ave Maria – Franz Schubert

• Ave Maris Stella – V. de Zubizarreta

• Nearer, My God, to Thee – L. Mason

• Benedicat Vobis – G. F. Handel

• Pueri Hebraeorum – Gregorian chant (for Palm Sunday)

About the Choir

The Liceo Castilla Choir was founded in September 1989 by its current director, Isidro Rodríguez Llorente. From its beginnings until 1993, the choir focused exclusively on classical polyphonic repertoire—both sacred and secular—by composers such as Handel, Bach, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Arcadelt, and Yagüe.

Since 1993, while maintaining and expanding this classical repertoire, the choir has also incorporated zarzuela and popular music, using modern orchestral accompaniment created through advanced computer-based techniques developed by its director.

The ensemble performs primarily at the Liceo Castilla School (Marist Brothers), throughout Burgos and its province, and across the region. It has won first prize on several occasions in the Christmas Carol Competition organized by the Castilian Nativity Association and received first prize in the Provincial Choir Competition organized by the Provincial Council of Burgos in 2002.

Its current repertoire includes works by Mozart, Arcadelt, Victoria, Palestrina, Perosi, Schubert, Handel, and Yagüe, among others.

Director

Isidro Rodríguez Llorente was born in 1958 in Zarzosa de Río Pisuerga (Burgos). He began his musical studies at the Salesian School in Cambados, where he was a soloist in the children’s choir “Serantellos.” He later studied solfège, harmony, choral ensemble, and piano at the conservatories of León and Burgos.

He trained in choral conducting under Alejandro Yagüe, Professor of Composition and Conducting at the Salamanca Conservatory, continuing to refine his training under his mentorship.

In 1989 he joined Liceo Castilla School as a music teacher and coordinator of musical activities, founding the Liceo Castilla Choir and the Liceo Castilla Children’s Choir. In 1999 he founded the Liceo Castilla Secondary School Choir.

Since 1993 he has specialized in music computing, teaching courses at the Universities of Oviedo and Burgos. He developed a computer-based rehearsal method applied to choral ensembles.

He currently teaches music in secondary education, directs the Liceo Castilla Choir and the Secondary Choir, and leads university courses on new technologies applied to music.

5th Sacred Choral Music Series – Holy Week 2026

March 29 | 19:00h

IES Pintor Luis Sáez Choir

Director: David Tomé Ausín
Church of Santa María la Real y Antigua
7:00 p.m.

Programme

• Ave Maria – C. Monteverdi

• Notre Père – M. Duruflé

• Seguid a la Virgen (J. Mª Rupérez Cibrián) – arr. David Tomé

• Set Me as a Seal – J. Leavitt

• Aleluya – L. Cohen

• O Bone Jesu – G. P. Palestrina

• Exsultate Justi – Ludovico G. da Viadana

• Signore delle Cime – Giuseppe de Marzi

• No me mueve, mi Dios, para quererte – F. Palazón

• Anima Christi – Marco Frisina

Missa Brevis – Jacob de Haan

• Kyrie

• Gloria

• Agnus Dei

• Panis Angelicus – C. Franck

• Dona Nobis Pacem – W. A. Mozart

• An Irish Blessing – James Moore

About the Choir

The Polyphonic Choir of IES Pintor Luis Sáez, founded in 1995, takes its name from the distinguished Burgos painter and from the secondary school where it was established. It remains closely linked to the Pintor Luis Sáez Institute in the Gamonal district.

Promoted by a group of teachers, its founding aim was to encourage an appreciation for choral music and to foster education through musical activity. The shared bond of this mixed-voice ensemble has always been a love of polyphonic music and the enjoyment of performing it.

The choir has represented both the Institute and the city of Burgos locally and internationally, performing in France and cities such as Barcelona, Bilbao, Denia, Zaragoza, and Avilés. It has taken part in institutional, religious, and academic events, patronal festivities, charitable centers, music competitions, weddings, Christmas and Holy Week concerts, among many other cultural activities.

Its broad repertoire spans all periods and styles, from sacred to secular, classical to contemporary, and from local and regional works to universal masterpieces.

Since May 2016, the choir has been directed by David Tomé Ausín. A founding member (2013) of the Burgos Youth Symphony Orchestra (JOSBU) as a violist, his educational background informs and enriches his choral leadership.