While sitting on a bench in front of Hallenburg Castle one evening last week, one of the teachers mentioned Alba Armengou singing “When you’re smiling” – which made me smile as well. The song is very famous, and was sung by many famous artists like Billie Holiday, but Alba, wow, that’s another story.
On his DVD documentation “A film about kids and music”, director Ramon Tort wrote the following:
In 2009, I was filming a live concert by the Sant Andreu Band for a DVD recording. The concert was at the Palau de la Música, in Barcelona, which was packed and had been sold out. When Alba Armengou, who was then 7 years old, finished the final phrase of the chorus When you’re smiling and began playing the trumpet, the Palau stood in awe, the whispers became an ovation and I, with tears in my eyes, stopped filming… at that moment I understood the need to begin this journey… the magical connection of these children with the audience, everything they give, they convey, encourage us to see and find out more in order to try and answer the questions raised when one faces something so mesmerizing.
You can read more about his great film here, and buy it here. Really, you should. It’s that good.
And the DVD ends with that title, featuring the 7 year old Alba. Like “our” teacher Mrs. Nägler said: “too cute!”
I’m so glad that I had a few days with the PDS students and teachers…
More about that later. For now, as always, thanks for reading, watching, and listening.