Francisco Grau Vegara
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Francisco Grau Vegara
Francisco Grau Vegara (22 January 1947 – 21 July 2019) was a Spanish musician, composer and General in the Spanish Armed Forces. Career Born in Bigastro, Alicante, he started playing instruments in his hometown's band at the age of seven. Later, he went on to compose more than 700 pieces and since 12 October 1997, he was the official author of the Spanish National Anthem (previously ''Marcha Granadera''). He was also a member of the ''Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando'' in Madrid, the ''Real Academia de la Virgen de la Arrixaca'' in Murcia and the Academia de San Carlos in Valencia. From 1988 to 2019, he was the director of music for the Spanish Royal Guard and the Director of the Spanish Military Academy of Music since its creation. From 1988 – 2008, he was also director of the Musical Unit of the Spanish Royal Guard. In January 2008, Grau became the first General of Music in the Spanish Armed Forces, having been made a colonel some years previously. He died o ...
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General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. March 2021. Oxford University Press. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77489?rskey=dCKrg4&result=1 (accessed May 11, 2021) The term ''general'' is used in two ways: as the generic title for all grades of general officer and as a specific rank. It originates in the Tudor period, 16th century, as a shortening of ''captain general'', which rank was taken from Middle French ''capitaine général''. The adjective ''general'' had been affixed to officer designations since the late Middle Ages, late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction. Today, the title of ''general'' is known in some countries as a four-star rank. However, different countries use di ...
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Spanish Armed Forces
The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain, defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions entrusted to them by the Constitution of 1978. They are composed of: the Army, the Air and Space Force, the Navy, the Royal Guard and the Military Emergencies Unit, as well as the so-called Common Corps. Spain is one of the most militarily powerful nations of the European Union ( EUFOR) and Eurocorps. It also occupies a prominent position in the structure of NATO, which it joined in 1982. It also has the oldest Marine Infantry in the world and the oldest permanent military units in the world: the '' Infantry Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" No. 1'' and the '' Infantry Regiment "Soria" No. 9''. History During the 15th and 16th century, Spain evolved into Europe's foremost power with the voyages of Christopher Columbus leading to Spain acquiring vast lands in the Americas. Duri ...
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Bigastro
Bigastro () is a municipality in the Valencian Community (Spain) situated in the south of the province of Alicante, in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura. It had a population of 6,450 at the time of the 2005 census. History In La Loma there is an archaeological site dating from the Bronze Age. The district derives its name from the ''Lugar Nuevo de los Canónigos'', a place of residence for the canons of Orihuela cathedral, which once had power over the area. In 1701, after some lawsuits with the settlers, the church made some allowances which permitted the foundation of Bigastro, starting with three estates, in which 24 families lived. Economy At the time of its foundation, agriculture was concentrated around flax and hemp; in the 19th century, the fall of the textile sector sparked interest in citrus fruits and products from irrigated fields. There is also industrial activity, mainly in the form of construction and manufacturing. Demography In 2005, Bigastro had 6,450 residen ...
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Province Of Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the second most populated Valencian province. Likewise, the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Community (Alicante and Elche, respectively) are located in this province. Alicante is bordered by the provinces of Murcia on the southwest, Albacete on the west, Valencia on the north, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east. The province is named after its capital, the city of Alicante. Territory, population and resources According to the 2018 population data, Alicante ranks as the fourth most populous province in Spain (after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia), with 1,838,819 inhabitants. Cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the province are Alicante (334,757 inhabitants), Elche (230,112), Torrevieja (101,792), Orihuela (86,164), Benidorm (71,034), Alcoy (61,552), Elda (55,168), and San Vicente del Raspeig (53,126).
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Marcha Real
The (; "Royal March") is the national anthem of Spain. It is one of only four national anthems in the world – along with those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino and Kosovo – that have no official lyrics. Although it had lyrics in the past, they are no longer used. One of the oldest in the world, the Spanish national anthem was first printed in a document dated 1761 and entitled (''Book of the Ordinance of Newly Played Military Fife and Drum Calls by The Spanish Infantry''), by Manuel de Espinosa. There, it is entitled (). According to the document, Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros is the composer. There is a misconception that its author was Frederick II of Prussia, a great lover of music. That mistaken belief arose in 1861 when it was published as fact in the periodical (''Military Spain''). In 1864, Col. Antonio Vallecillo published the story in the diary (''The Public Spirit''), claiming a supposed Prussian origin for . According to Vallecillo, the anthem was ...
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Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and its monocentric metropolitan area is the third-largest in the EU.United Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairWorld Urbanization Prospects (2007 revision), (United Nations, 2008), Table A.12. Data for 2007. The municipality covers geographical area. Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. Capital city of both Spain (almost without interruption since 1561) and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The city is situated on an elevated plain about from the closest seaside location. The climate of Madrid features hot summers and cool winters. The Madrid urban agglomeration has the second-large ...
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Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one third of the total population of the Region). The total population of the metropolitan area is 672,773 in 2020, covering an urban area of 1,230.9 km2. It is located on the Segura River, in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. It has a climate with hot summers, mild winters, and relatively low precipitation. Murcia was founded by the emir of Cordoba Abd ar-Rahman II in 825 with the name ''Mursiyah'' ( ar, مرسية). It is now mainly a services city and a university town. Highlights for visitors include the Cathedral of Murcia and a number of baroque buildings, renowned local cuisine, Holy Week procession, works of art by the famous Murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo, and the ''Fiestas de Primavera'' (Spring Festival). The city, as ...
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Real Academia De Bellas Artes De San Carlos De Valencia
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos de Valencia (Spanish for ''Saint Charles Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Valencia'') has been a Spanish Art school in Valencia since 1768. History The institution is deemed to be the follow-on institution of the Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Bárbara, which was closed in 1759. The institution was founded under the name ''Real Academia de las Tres Nobles Artes de San Carlos'' (''Royal Academy of the three Noble Arts of Saint Charles'') by decret of Charles III from February 14, 1768, according to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. The so-called "three noble arts" were painting, sculpture and architecture. Until 1910 the academic training was rather practical, before the course offer was increased by essential theoretic and practical knowledge. By decret from July 24, 1913, the museum for painting and sculpture was subordinated to the academy.Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos de ValenciaHisto ...
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Valencia, Spain
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area also comprising the neighbouring municipalities has a population of around 1.6 million, constituting one of the major urban areas on the European side of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, at the Gulf of Valencia, north of the Albufera lagoon. Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC. Islamic rule and acculturation ensued in the 8th century, together with the introduction of new irrigation systems and crops. Aragonese Christian conquest took place in 1238, and so the city became the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia. The city's population thrived in the 15th century, owing to trade with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, Italian ports and other locati ...
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Musical Unit Of The Spanish Royal Guard
The Musical Unit of the Spanish Royal Guard ( es, Unidad musical de la Guardia Real España) is the official music service of the Spanish Royal Guard of the Spanish Armed Forces that is dedicated to providing ceremonial honours and music to the King of Spain, the Spanish Royal Family, and public officials. The musical unit is one of many battalion sized units in the regiment, with over 100 professional musicians in its ranks who are chosen from the non-commissioned officers of the Military Music Corps. It is one of the more senior and representative bands in the Spanish Armed Forces, with its repertoire covering a wide range of Army, Navy and Air Force music. The entire unit is currently under the baton of the conductor of the Military Band of the Royal Guard, Colonel Musician Enrique Damián Blasco Cebolla. History The Musical Unit of the Royal Guard was first organized as a singular musical group on February 19, 1874, with its first director being Martín Elexpuru. Its current ...
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Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of a regiment in an army. Modern usage varies greatly, and in some cases, the term is used as an honorific title that may have no direct relationship to military service. The rank of colonel is typically above the rank of lieutenant colonel. The rank above colonel is typically called brigadier, brigade general or brigadier general. In some smaller military forces, such as those of Monaco or the Vatican, colonel is the highest rank. Equivalent naval ranks may be called captain or ship-of-the-line captain. In the Commonwealth's air force ranking system, the equivalent rank is group captain. History and origins By the end of the late medieval period, a group of "companies" was referred to as a "column" of an army. According to Raymond Ol ...
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Albacete
Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, the area around the city is known as Llanos de Albacete, Los Llanos. Halfway between Madrid and the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, it enjoys connections by motorway, railway (including AVE), and air (Albacete Airport). With a population of 174,336 (2020), it is the largest municipality of Castilla–La Mancha. The municipality of Albacete is also the seventh-largest in Spain by total area, being . Albacete is the seat to the regional High Court of Justice of Castile-La Mancha, High Court of Justice. The origins of the city are uncertain, with the earliest proof of settlement dating to the time of Al-Andalus, when the settlement was originally named (), meaning "The Flat" in Arabic language, Arabic, re ...
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