In celebration of Santa Cecília, the patron saint of music, Igualada's Department of Culture, alongside various local organisations, has arranged a series of concerts and performances to honour music from 12 to 29 November. The highlight of this programme will be a centenary concert dedicated to Cassià Maria Just, taking place on 21 November.
The concert will be held at the Basilica of Santa Maria de Igualada at 7 PM, featuring the Orquesta Terres de Marca, Cor Exaudio, and organist Joan Espuny, a former choirboy from Montserrat. This tribute aims to revive the musical legacy of Cassià Maria Just and his family's connection to Igualada through his father, the maestro Joan Just.
The first part of the concert will include instrumental pieces and lesser-known works by Cassià Maria Just, culminating in the world premiere of a concert dedicated to him by Carles Cases, which will feature organ, orchestra, and children's voices. The second part will be dedicated to Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, a serene composition that will conclude the tribute.
The concert is the result of collaborative efforts from musicians, singers, conductors, and musical entities from Igualada. Tickets are priced at €12.
On the eve of the concert, on 20 November at 7 PM, Father Bernabé Dalmau y Ribalta, a monk from Montserrat, will give a lecture titled “The Abbot Cassià Maria Just and Riba, One Hundred Years” in the Town Hall's Session Hall. This talk will review his journey as a monk and musician, his commitment to the community, and his relationship with the city. Admission is free.
The Department of Culture of the Igualada Town Hall, in collaboration with the Generalitat of Catalonia (Religious Affairs), is organising the concert.
Santa Cecília programme from 12 to 29 November
The programme will kick off on 12 November with Nastallat, a project by Laia Rius that blends traditional melodies with electronic music. On 13 November, three young Afghan musicians will perform at the Teatro Municipal Ateneu as part of the V Route of Peace.
The first weekend will feature the elPetit festival at the Teatro de la Aurora, showcasing the immersive concert Amamá and a live music and dance performance titled Ona. On 22 November, Santa Cecília Day, the Ciudad de Igualada Awards will include the premiere of the waltz El Zanguango by Publio Delgado Fernández, along with performances by violinists Pol Fortuny and Aina Filella from Encambra’t.
In the afternoon, Son de la Habana will present Americanas Sinfónicas at the same theatre, followed by a piano concert by Antoni Besses and Bonet on the following Monday. The final weekend will begin with fado singer Sofia Ribeiro and will continue with Canción de amor y de guerra, a zarzuela featuring over a hundred performers. On 29 November, La Tresca y la Verdesca will present the family concert Rau-rau, and the Coral Juvenil Xalest will conclude the programme with a charity concert at the church of Roser.
