History – Banda Filarmónica da Casa do Povo de São Vicente

On the initiative of the President of the Casa do Povo de São Vicente, Manuel Mendes Andrade, was founded on 21 January 1990, the Banda Filarmónica da Casa do Povo de São Vicente. The long-awaited constitution of a harmony orchestra in the north-central Madeira Island began in January 1989 in the former headquarters of the São Vicente People’s House, with the first solfeggio and instrument classes. under the direction of José Manuel Correia Gomes e Silva, natural musician of Serra da Água and former performer of the Banda Nova da Ribeira Brava (New Harmony of Ribeira Brava). Of the sixty students enrolled, the fourteen most fit were distributed the instruments acquired by the grant of a grant from the Rural Extension, agency of the Regional Secretariat of Agriculture and Fisheries. The staff of the Concert Band of the São Vicente People’s House was also formed with other students of the newly formed Banda Musical Recital of Serra de Água (Harmony Music Recreation of Serra de Água), under the artistic direction of Gomes e Silva, and with five former performers of the Ribeira Brava New Harmony, inhabitants of Serra de Água. By this means, and with a repertoire assigned or assembled regional harmonies, commissioned to regional composers or acquired by Gomes e Silva, the Orchester d’Harmonie of the House of the People of São Vicente held its first public presentation (which takes as date of foundation) 21 and 22 January 1990, on the occasion of the religious festival and Day of the Municipality of São Vicente.
For the prosperous activity of the newly constituted musical community of São Vicente contributed greatly the conclusion of a program contract between the Direction of the Casa do Povo and the City Council of São Vicente, which guaranteed the exhibition of the harmony in the about twelve popular festivals of the municipality. For the accomplishment of the most frequent artistic obligations of the Banda Filarmónica da Casa do Povo de São Vicente, José Manuel Gomes e Silva used the mixed staff of performers from São Vicente and Serra de Água , which prevented the provision of the occasional artistic services engaged to Harmony Musical Recreation of Serra de Água: Nevertheless, several realized, under the direction of Gomes e Silva, with the help of several executives of São Vicente, in the few weekends where the harmony of that municipality did not offer its artistic contribution in any religious festival in the north of the island. (The absence of such a contract-program, which would have encouraged the guarantee of musical services and consequent pecuniary revenues, the appointment of new artistic director or head of division and the meeting of an autonomous staff, constituted exclusively by trained musicians in the institution, will have precipitated the extinction of the congener Harmony Music Recreation of Serra de Água).
At a time when the emigration and abandonment of the artistic activity of several performers had severely reduced the size of the harmony (which had counted thirty figures in 1994), the elected leadership of the House of the People of São Vicente , dissatisfied with the continued demand of the musicians enrolled in the municipal harmony for the harmony of Serra de Água, forced Gomes e Silva the choice of one of the institutions, which not only led to his dispensation, but also in the pernicious resignation of nine musicians. Also in 1997, João Maurício Tavares Quintal, teacher of elementary education and performer of the Banda Recreio Camponês, replaced Gomes e Silva to the artistic direction of the Orchestra of Harmony of the House of the People of São Vicente. In order to promote the continuous activity of the musical community and, in accordance with the program-contract, the animation of the religious festivities of the north-central part of the island, Quintal resorted to the invitation and contract of performers and former musicians of the harmonies of Câmara de Lobos and Funchal – Banda Recreio Camponês, Banda Municipal of Câmara de Lobos, Banda Distrital do Funchal and Banda Municipal do Funchal: to 2011, to count the harmony of São Vicente with sixteen performers and ten apprentices. Despite the remarkable activity of harmony during thirty annual popular festivals, Quintal seeks to promote, often without fruitful result, the registration of apprentices in cooperation with the school groups and the extension of São Vicente of the Conservatory – Professional School of Arts from Madeira, engineer Luiz Peter Clode. As part of its twenty-fifth anniversary, whose celebrations began in January 2014 with a concert for its associates and general public, the Banda Filarmónica da Casa do Povo de São Vicente recorded and edited, between May and May. August 2015, a CD, with transcriptions of classical music and a little repertoire that has accustomed us to its public presentations.

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