or “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” But you probably already new that. And of course, both of these holidays have come and gone. This post will feature some pictures from Cuenca’s “Pase Del Niño” parade and Youtube links to the Cuenca International Chorale Christmas Concert. For more information about how Christmas and New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Cuenca, please see two of our previous posts: “I’m Dreaming of an Unwhite Christmas” and “Burn, Baby, Burn”.
Glenn and I are both members of the Cuenca International Chorale as well as the small Ensemble. This year Glenn also sang with a men’s quartet. Last year’s Christmas Concert in Cuenca’s Old Cathedral was standing room only so this year we had two concerts and both were very well attended. Below are links to the concert we gave at Iglesia San Roque on December 17.
Hanaq Pachap (Song to the Virgin of the Flowers) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6tcX_HAQPEc&feature=youtu.be
A Christmas Gloria https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MwSvsQe_eN0&feature=youtu.be
Good News https://youtu.be/l-PhZKdYnCQ
Nochebuena https://youtu.be/ONszjS2GsbY
Dadme Albricias Hijos d’Eua https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=y4RE0UsBF1M&feature=youtu.be
I Wonder As I Wonder https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=g4lldjs1r5Y&feature=youtu.be
Silent https://youtu.be/A2NmsvJMp6w
Ding Dong Merrily On High https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCsZgK1X9Q&feature=youtu.be
O Come, O come, Emmanuel https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=HFfnkGXneyw&feature=youtu.be
Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming https://youtu.be/tE0NMozAFfA
Dansaron (E la don, don, Verges Maria) https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Biul5bjshew&feature=youtu.be
Armen Estrepito https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=AWzRxk2z1qY&feature=youtu.be
I Will Joyfully Sing https://youtu.be/kFd6G7Qd1DQ
A Joyful Madrigal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq-2Uaq_COE
Un Flambeau Jeannette Isabella https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1n4jnlNPuoU&feature=youtu.be
Carol of the Bells https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=BwWpNGeStVc&feature=youtu.be
Ave Maria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eesqntis4g&feature=youtu.be
This Little Babe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWbJC77a2dk&feature=youtu.be
Still, Still, Still https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=WVZv3sWm8dc&feature=youtu.be
Christmas Time Is Here https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=2vqpSq6M1DE&feature=youtu.be
African Noel https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=aG_NUcQHTpQ&feature=youtu.be
Joy To The World https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=gwH5kACZ8TY&feature=youtu.be
O Come All Ye Faithful https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wfN7JBi3qHU&feature=youtu.be
The First Noel https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ADLbOsm76nQ&feature=youtu.be
Silent Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVeOEWSrmdI&feature=youtu.be
As I mentioned above, a highlight of the Christmas season is attending the Pase del Niño parade on Christmas Eve. This eight hour parade through the center of Cuenca is an important family event. Even with the crowds (estimates are that 100,000 spectators enjoy the parade each year) the mood of the people was joyous, fun and exciting. Enjoy the pictures!
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a bit quiet which is what we needed to recover from the frenetic pace we’d been keeping during the month of December.
We spent New Year’s Eve with friends Holly, John and Rob eating fajitas, playing games, and watching the incredible fireworks display that came to a climax at midnight with pyrotechnics exploding whichever direction you looked for about 30 minutes. We had the added delight of watching all of this from John and Holly’s 17th floor apartment. I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures or videos. I was just enjoying myself too much!
In Other News
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, posts from “Los Gano de Cuenca” have been coming fewer and further between recently. It is certainly not from lack of things going on in our lives worthy of sharing with you. Just the opposite! It seems to be the plight of Cuenca Expat bloggers: the Catch 22 of having so many wonderful experiences to write about but the experiences leaving little time to spend writing. Nevertheless, I will persevere and continue to publish the occasional post – emphasis on the word occasional!
In the last three months since our previous post, we’ve had quite a few major events.
My sister Inta visited us;
I helped produce a House Concert featuring our friend and pianist Daniel Brito and soprano Sandra Echeverri;
I traveled to Alaska to help my dad move from his house of 35 years to a smaller apartment and buy our daughter her wedding dress; 
we took two trips outside of Cuenca ( I have pictures in my photo library and thoughts bumping around in my brain about these that need to make their way to a blog post); and our church moved from El Centro to a larger location.
And what does 2016 hold for us?
Well only God knows but if He wills it, we hope to do some international travel, attend our daughter’s wedding this summer, continue to improve our Spanish, and a few other surprises we’ll tell you about as they occur. Until then, we wish you all a very blessed and full new year.
Los Gano de Cuenca 