Kaleidoscope

 

A Brief History of

Choral Music in Catalonia

Catalonia is a country that has already celebrated 1000 years of existence, and during this time has experienced its highest and lowest moments. Looking closely at the history of choral music, we find two very clear reasons for its development: on one hand, religious polyphony in innumerable monasteries spread through­out its geography, Ripoll, Prades, San Joan de les Abadeses and others which make a list too long to mention - and on the other hand, popular songs.

In the case of religious polyphony, a study of note about the origins of Catalan choral music, was done by Joaquim Garrigosa. He pointed out that by the 9’ century. there was already a type of polyphonic musi­cal annotation, characteristic of our country. I

system of annotation has features in common wit] other types of musical annotation from Provence. Hence, we can state that our choral music appears simultaneously with that of the Mediterranean; is no surprise, considering Catalonia has always been a₁₁ cultural crossroads. The relationship with Provence was to continue over time, given that secular music took inspiration from Occitan troubadours. As such, we can state that Catalan choral music has had very strong bonds with that of’ Occitania since antiquity.

Today, in the 21 century, many of these types of persist as tradi­tional melodies. However, present-day choral singing in Catalonia cannot he understood without taking into account that we are a people with our own culture and language, which has been op­pressed and punished on many occasions, over a period of more than one thousand years. This repression affected our songs, our culture and our language as well. For this reason, besides being music, choral singing is for our choirs also a sign of our national identity and something that maintains us and enriches us as a people.

Present-day Catalonia has some 6 million inhabitants, and has more than one thousand choral groups and five federations, each with its own organizational structure, for children’s, juvenile, mixed, male and religious choirs. The federations jointly coordinate the Moviment Coral Cátala, a strong organizational structure with six organization Head Offices and staff who strive to provide everything that Catalan choral singing demands.

The level attained by all those who are dedicated to children’s and juvenile choirs is meaningful; they have known how to give their best to the youth of the country, achieving a very high standard of musicianship, and the satisfaction of enjoying a job well done. This undoubtedly makes it possible to improve all the time, and to work for the future in a disciplined and demanding way.

It was a little more than 150 years ago that Josep Anselm Clavé, a conductor who helped choral music to progress, began this move­ment. Clavé placed choral music, which had been reserved for a few, in the hands of the people. This development was further helped by Lluis Millet I Vives, who pushed for higher standards, such that everyone who wished to sing could do so, and improve in musicianship. This continued, after a lapse caused by the Spanish Civil War, with several people encouraging the movement at the time: Perez-Moya, Enric Ribó, Oriol Martorell, Josep Viader, LIuis Virgili, and Manel Cabero. During the second half of the 20” century, these people inspired an aesthetic renovation of Catalan choral music. In the 1960’s, Europa Cantat was born, under the direction of several European conductors, among them Oriol Martorell; and through him our music goes to Europe, and Europe comes to Catalonia.Today many young conductors have taken their place in the country. They continue to make it possible for those who wish to sing, to do so to the best of their ability. drawing on the repertoires of’ the world, besides our own. This is a future v, hic]i is founded on the present: rich and full of hope.

Considering this last 150-year phase, the Escolania de Montserrat deserves special mention. It is a centre of Catalan choral music par excellence, from which a multitude of young people has graduated with a very high standard of musical training, most espe­cially in choral singing. Many of these have started choral groups

Some months from now, on 18th July 2003, we will raise the curtain on the IS”’ Europa Cantat in Barcelona, capital city of Catalonia, and one of the happiest and brightest cities of the Medi­terranean. Many people started working months ago, in the hope that you may all be happy at the Festival; that you may find music, certainly, but also the friendship, the warmth of friends, the joy of the celebration, the arts of our city, its culture, its light. May all this lead us to raise our voices above war and injustice: that the deaf of the world may hear us! - Just like in the ending of the “Gloria” from the Oratorio “El Pessebre” by Pau Casals... Mai més cap guerra !, (No War Evermore!). This is the message that our elders have passed on to us, and which we want to leave to our children. We and our leaders must also put it into practice today.

Lluis Gómez (Moviment Coral Català/ Europa Cantat Board)