Obra Cultural Balear (OCB) is holding a concert in Palma Cathedral at 8pm on Sunday in tribute to the poet Joan Alcover, as part of the commemorations of the centenary of his death.
The poet
Joan Alcover (1854–1926) was one of the leading figures of the Mallorcan School of poetry and of the Catalan-language literary revival in the Balearics. His elegies, written after the deaths of several of his children, are among the most moving poems in Catalan literature.
He is best known today for La Balanguera, a poem that, set to music by Amadeu Vives, became the anthem of Mallorca.
A date with history
The OCB chose the date deliberately: Vives’ musical version of La Balanguera was first performed on 28 June 1926 at the Teatre Líric in Palma. The concert brings that anniversary back to life, a century on.
The programme
Part one: La Serra de Tramuntana. The Balearic Youth Orchestra, the University of the Balearic Islands Orchestra and the Sant Joan choir perform Antoni Mairata’s symphony La Serra de Tramuntana, a musical portrait of Mallorca’s great mountain range.
Part two: La Balanguera. After an interval, the Porreres philharmonic band and the xeremiers — traditional Mallorcan bagpipe players — from the island’s school of music and dance perform Vives’ setting of Alcover’s poem.
Getting there
The cathedral is in the heart of Palma and easy to reach on foot from the old town. Several city bus lines stop nearby, and visitors from other parts of the island can take the train or bus to the Estació Intermodal, a short walk or taxi ride away.
A tip
Places are limited, so it is worth arriving early. Church interiors can feel cool in the evening, even in summer.
Why it matters
La Balanguera, with its image of an old woman spinning the thread of time, has become a symbol of Mallorcan identity and of the island’s language and culture, and in 1996 it was declared the official anthem of Mallorca. Hearing it in the cathedral, a century after its premiere, gives the anniversary special meaning — and a reminder of how a poet’s words can become part of a people’s shared voice.
