Escolania de Montserrat facts for kids
The Escolania de Montserrat is a famous boys' choir from Catalonia, Spain. It's based at the Benedictine abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat, which is a monastery near Barcelona. The choir is made up of boys who sing the high parts (called sopranos and altos). Sometimes, older choir members and monks join them for bigger performances.
The Escolania is one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe. People have known about it as a religious and musical group since the 1300s!
More than fifty boys, usually between nine and fourteen years old, are part of the Escolania. They come from different parts of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian community. While they are in the choir, they also go to school, studying primary and early secondary levels. They also get a great musical education.
Every student learns two musical instruments. They all learn to play the piano. Then, they choose another orchestral instrument, like a violin or a flute. Besides instruments, they study music theory, play in an orchestra, and, of course, sing in the choir. The choir is the most important part of their school life!
Singing and Touring
The Escolania choir sings every day in the Basilica, which is the main church at the monastery. Many visitors and pilgrims from all over the world come to listen. Their midday performance of the "Salve Regina" is especially popular.
The choir has recorded many albums. They have also traveled to many countries to perform concerts. They've visited places like Hungary, Switzerland, France, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Russia, the United States, and China. In 2023, they even performed in Australia!
A Look Back: History of the Escolania
The Escolania has a long and interesting history:
- 1025: The Benedictine monks started their community at Montserrat.
- 12th Century: People began to visit Montserrat to honor the Virgin of Montserrat. This brought more attention to the area.
- 1307: This is the first time we find official records mentioning the Escolania. It also mentions the special robes the choir boys wore, which are similar to what they wear today.
- 1479: The choir sang for King Fernando, who was known as the Catholic King, when he visited Barcelona.
- 1494: Abbot Garcia de Cisneros talked about how important religious music was. At this time, about 20 boys were in the choir.
- 16th Century: A former choir boy named Bartomeu Garriga became the Abbot of the Monastery. In 1560, he started building the beautiful Basilica that stands today.
- 17th-18th Century: The choir grew a lot during this time. The title "Masters of the Escolania" appeared. These were monks who led the choir and created new music for them to sing.
- 1889-1909: Fr. Manuel Guzman brought a new style to the choir's sound. He also taught future directors of the Escolania.
- 1909-1911: Fr. Ramir Escofet became the director.
- 1911-1933: Fr. Anselm Ferrer, from Italy, took over as director and composer. He made the first recordings of the Escolania and helped develop their unique sound.
- 1933-1936: Blessed Fr. Angel Rodamilan was the director.
- 1936-1939: The monks and students had to leave Montserrat during the Spanish Civil War.
- 1939-1953: Fr. David Pujol was the director.
- 1953-1997: Fr. Ireneu Segarra was a long-serving director and composer. Under his leadership, the choir grew to fifty students and released many records. In the 1960s, they started performing concerts outside Montserrat for the first time, including international tours.
- 1997-2000: Fr. Jordi-Agustí Piqué was the director.
- 2000-2007: Joaquim Piqué became the first director who was not a monk.
- 2007–2014: Bernat Vivancos was the director.
- 2014-Present: Llorenç Castelló is the current director of the Escolania.
See also
In Spanish: Escolanía de Montserrat para niños
