The kings go to the ‘in memoriam’ concert on the eve of 11-M

The Kings Felipe and Letizia have presided this Thursday, March 6, the XXIII Concert ‘In Memoriam’ in tribute to the victims of terrorism that is held annually on the eve of March 11, date on which the greatest attack in the history of Spain was perpetrated in 2004.

The appointment has taken place in the National Music Auditorium. The kings, dressed in dark and sober colors in respect, have been received between applause and cheers and have occupied the box of honor, accompanied by Minister Grande-Marlaska and Juan Francisco Benito, president of the foundation and son of one of the victims of the attack. After his speech, the auditorium stood up to keep a minute of silence in memory of the 193 fatal victims of the attacks that took place in the Madrid stations of Atocha, El Pozo and Santa Eugenia, on March 11, 2004.

The concert is organized by the Victims of Terrorism and sponsored by the RTVE Orchestra, the National Music Auditorium, the INAEM, the Montemadrid Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the Madrid City Council. The objective of the Victims of Terrorism is to promote and disseminate democratic values, the defense of human rights, the plurality and freedom of citizens and, at the same time, be a useful vehicle for consultation for a better understanding of the situation of the group of victims of terrorism in Spain.

The Symphony Orchestra and the RTVE Choir have interpreted Ralph Vaughan Williams marine symphony under the poem grass leaves of the American poet Walt Whitman. The performance also had Christoph König as director, Leonor Bonilla as Soprano and Damián del Castillo as a baritone. “In every note that we are going to hear tonight the suffering of those who suffer terrorism,” said the president.

Last year, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary, Felipe VI recalled how that terrible morning of March 2004 had lived: “That same afternoon, the queen and I, then little by little of our marriage, together with Queen Sofia, we went to the Gregorio Marañón hospital, on October 12 and the clinician to accompany the victims, their relatives, their loved ones in those terrible circumstances.” The royal family and the entire society turned to the victims in a wave of solidarity and deep pain unprecedented: “We remember a lot the excited and silent concentrations that arose spontaneously throughout our geography that Thursday. Also the massive demonstration the next day in Madrid, in which more than two million people showed with our most resounding sentence to the attacks and our absolute support for the victims,” king.