Mercado de la Merced
For jazz orchestra
c. 8 min
2020
Winner of the 2020´s Carla Bley Composition Competition. A music soundscape depicting the hustle of one of the most emblematic markets in Mexico City. Dedicated to Carla Bley, Arturo O´Farrill, and the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance. This piece was to be premiered in May 2020 at the New York Town Hall Theater in a concert entitled “THE LORD IS LISTENIN' TO YA, HALLELUJAH! - CELEBRATING CARLA BLEY”, however, due to COVID 19 complications, the premiered had to be rescheduled TBA.
A busy marketplace at the heart of a city where time, culture, and people melt.
Perpetual traffic, with a chorus of honks.
Chants of merchants rise over the texture.
Yelling, talking, and whispering while a hundred songs play in the background.
Street fights and lovers with the accompaniment of church bells.
Everything is lost in the masses to create an erratic, overwhelming and visceral texture of a city.
From Arturo O’Farrill:
"Fer Feria has written such an original piece that it literally delighted both judges and assistants with its vision, humor, and skill - all traits which Carla shows in her remarkable career. It is difficult enough composing in a stylistic and aesthetic framework but to do so in an alarmingly-deep personal style is worth affirming and supporting. Hopefully, Mr. Feria's is a voice we'll hear from for years to come."