Music and Community in La Felguera: The Story of the Orquesta Langreana de Plectro

The Orquesta Langreana de Plectro has been making music in La Felguera for over 80 years. With instruments like lutes, mandolins, bandurrias, guitars, double basses, and basses, this orchestra spans generations, performing everything from zarzuela and Spanish classics to film scores and contemporary compositions. Over the decades, its instruments have been passed from hand to hand, carrying the legacy of music through countless lives and stories.

Today, the orchestra’s members, who range from just 10 years old to an impressive 97 (the age of one of its esteemed directors), embody the universal language of music and its power to connect people of all ages. On February 3, 2024, after a routine rehearsal, the instruments were set aside for something different: an exchange of memories and personal stories. Members became “living books,” sharing tales that no traditional summary of the orchestra could ever capture.

In this special gathering, they shared memories made within the walls of their practice space and beyond, from cities across Spain to international stages. They recounted how their musical journeys began, the ways music still shapes their lives, and the profound impact it has had on them. Above all, they reminded us that music has the power to transform lives and that, truly, we cannot live without singing.