Credit: Guilherme Costa Oliveira, Porto.pt
As part of the commemorations of the bicentenary of the independence of Brazil, a solemn session was held at Lapa Church last night in the presence of members of the Municipality of Porto, the Irmandade da Lapa (Lapa Brotherhood) and Rota Porto Liberal (Liberal Oporto Route) commemorating the exequies of King D. Pedro IV, on the day marking the 188th anniversary of his death.
The solemn session was attended by the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, the Provedor of Irmandade da Lapa, Manuela Rebelo, the President of the Municipal Assembly, Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo, the Health Minister, Manuel Pizarro, councillors of the Municipality, Members of Parliament and hundreds of people not wanting to miss this evocation of the “Soldier King”.
Agostinho Ribeiro opened the solemn session with a reading of the “Funeral Prayers at the Exequies of HIM D. Pedro, Duke of Bragança and Regent of Portugal”, by Luiz Moreira Maia da Silva.
The Council of Minerva, a Brazilian organization that brings together the associations and alumni of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, later awarded the Commendation of the “Congregation of the Necklace of Merit of Pedro the Liberator” to the Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora da Lapa, received by the Provedor, Manuela Rebelo. This has become the first in the long list of commendations by the Council of Minerva, which also included the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, and the Jewish Museum of Oporto.
This was followed by a concert offered by the Coro Polifónico da Lapa (Lapa Polyphonic Choir) in conjunction with the Army Band (Oporto detachment) under the direction of Captain Artur Cardoso, with the participation of the chapel master and titular organist of Lapa Church, Filipe Veríssimo. The musicians performed works by Wagner ("Entry of the Guests"), Elgar ("Enigma Variations"), Caccini ("Ave Maria", arranged by Nuno Costa for choir and orchestra), Gregson ("The Kings Go Forth") and by King D. Pedro IV himself, in particular the “Hymno da Carta”, or Hymn of the Charter, as well as the “Overture to the Independence of Brazil”.
Source: Alexandre Neves, Porto.pt
