On August 27, 1972, the Feast of Santo Isidro, the Laborer, canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, took place. The celebration included a memorable concert at night, which lasted until 4 in the morning, bringing together musicians from Banda de Mateus and the Navy Band.
Among the musicians who performed were renowned names such as José Augusto Carneiro, Estanislau, Celestino, Diamantino Dias, Tomás, Vaz, Carlos Silveira, Vieira and Bragado. The program achieved remarkable success, with the crowd surrendering to the quality of the performers who combined technical perfection with poetic sonorities.
This was followed by a procession in which the band accompanied the faithful, with marches imposing themselves as expressions of popular religiosity. The farewell march traveled the street to the Chapel of Santo Isidro. The overture "Poète et Paysan" by Franz von Suppé was also revived, which had not been performed for several decades.
The article ends with a nostalgic reflection on the disappearance of these festivals with philharmonic bands, noting that today's celebrations have become poorer, clinging to the longing for other times, other music and other festivals where a band could be the heart of a celebration.
