Ordino Choir Fills Historic Streets with Caramelles Songs on Easter Sunday
Around 20 singers from Coral Casamanya performed waltzes, sardana, and the national anthem along a festive route, drawing crowds and donations while preserving a medieval tradition amid efforts to attract younger voices.
Key Points
- Coral Casamanya choir of 20 singers performed Caramelles on Easter Sunday in Ordino's historic streets.
- Setlist included two waltzes, sardana 'La Grandalla', and national anthem 'El Gran Carlemany', drawing crowds and donations.
- Medieval tradition celebrates resurrection and spring, now challenged by attracting younger participants.
- Local leaders attended, highlighting community ties and Andorran heritage preservation.
On Easter Sunday, around 20 singers from Ordino's Coral Casamanya filled the parish's historic streets with music during the annual Caramelles tradition, drawing crowds under radiant spring sunshine.
The performances kicked off at noon in Plaça Major in front of the communal building, with the choir embarking on an itinerant route through spots including Carrer del Mig, Placeta del Pajó, and Segudet. Locals, visitors, and tourists gathered to enjoy the songs, offered in exchange for voluntary donations collected in a basket by one performer. The custom once gathered eggs for a shared omelette but now primarily yields cash contributions. This year's setlist featured four pieces: two waltzes, the sardana *La Grandalla*, and the national anthem *El Gran Carlemany*, merging popular tunes with national pride and turning the streets into lively open-air stages.
Choir director Josep Puig described the festive mood, noting that the group aims for a day when people can "sing and enjoy it, and also enjoy our songs." He detailed the path: after the square opener, "we take a little route through Ordino and keep singing." Puig linked the practice to its medieval origins in religious songs celebrating Jesus's resurrection and spring's arrival, later adapted by Anselm Clavé into lighter melodies sung by young men to women.
Challenges persist in attracting younger participants amid shifting music tastes. "It's complicated, because the type of music popular today isn't this," Puig observed, stressing family involvement: "If the parents have lived it, that's also an incentive for the children. But if not, it's more complicated." A young singer's presence offered a hopeful sign for renewal.
Local figures such as minor consul Eduard Betriu and general councilor Berna Coma attended, alongside children donating and the Andorran flag waving. Children handed over contributions, underscoring community ties.
The Caramelles remain a cornerstone of Andorran heritage, thriving in Ordino and Sant Julià de Lòria, with emerging efforts in Encamp, bolstered by local cultural backing.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: