Alghero choir performs El Cant de la Sibil·la in Encamp

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Encamp hosted a day of talks and music that brought Alghero’s Christmas tradition to the parish of Santa Eulàlia as part of the Fira de Santa Llúcia. The afternoon concert filled the church to capacity for a performance of El Cant de la Sibil·la, known in Alghero as Lo Senyal del Judici, given by members of the Coral Polifònica de l’Alguer under the towns’ twinning agreement.

The programme began at the Church of Sant Miquel with a conference organised by the cultural association Arte in Musica titled “Lo Senyal del Judici, from word to image and song. From ancient prophecies to the Cant de la Sibil·la of Alghero.” Presenters Carmela Mura Monfardino and Giuseppe Calaresu, both performers of the piece, traced the Christianisation of the Sibyl figure and its integration into Christian pictorial and musical traditions, placing the cant within its iconographic and narrative context.

In the afternoon the Coral Polifònica de l’Alguer offered a special rendition of the Alghero version of the Cant de la Sibil·la at Santa Eulàlia. The performance, noted for its affinities with the version recently revived at La Seu d’Urgell cathedral, was directed by Ugo Spanu. Gabriele Catalano sang the role of the sibil·ler, accompanied by Fabio Frigato (organ), Alessia Sassu (cello), Manuele Costantino (trumpet) and Ricardo Collu (drum). Mura Monfardino and Calaresu acted as narrators. Musical arrangements were by Stefano Garau and Ugo Spanu.

Encamp’s cònsol major, Laura Mas, and the councillor for Culture, Childhood and Youth, Joan Sans, thanked the Coro Polifonico Algherese and highlighted the close cultural ties between the two Catalan‑speaking communities. The twinning agreement with Alghero, established in 2003, has facilitated regular cultural exchanges between the towns for two decades.

El Cant de la Sibil·la is a prophetic chant documented since the 14th century and traditionally performed on Christmas Eve before Midnight Mass. The Coral Polifònica de l’Alguer, founded in 1976, has for many years performed Lo Senyal del Judici at Alghero cathedral and has led a multi‑decade project to safeguard and promote this element of intangible heritage, begun in 1995 with the recording Estudi Polifònic – Dal Cant de la Sibil·la a Montserrat.

In recent years the group’s Cant has been presented internationally, including at the Sagrada Família crypt in Barcelona in 2022 and at Rome’s Santa Maria dell’Orto in 2023. In January 2024 performances from Mallorca, Barcelona, Valencia and Alghero were brought together at Palma cathedral; the collaborative project has since been reprised in Alghero and at other venues.

The conference and concert in Encamp reaffirmed cultural links between the two towns and underscored ongoing efforts to preserve and promote a living Mediterranean musical tradition.