Capella de Ministrers showcases the splendor of Valencia’s Corpus Christi, one of the city’s most important festivities since 1355, and recreates the soundscape that accompanied the famous procession with music recovered from a manuscript by Josep Gomar. Written in 1672, the Valencian musician’s book compiled texts, instructions, and music for the religious performances staged annually.
Capella de Ministrers performs the program “Misteris del Corpus” at the Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes in Valencia. The ensemble, directed by Carles Magraner, together with Lluis Vich Vocalis and the Alimara Dance Group, led by Ximo Martí and Salvador Mercado, will present works connected to the Corpus Christi procession with 40 musicians, singers, and dancers in a musical journey to 17th-century Valencia. This musical event, supported by the Department of Education, Culture, Universities, and Employment and the Valencian Institute of Culture, offers a window into the past, where voices and instruments narrate the history of a devout Valencia proud of its traditions. It recreates the dances, popular melodies, and mysteries that for centuries defined the city’s Fiesta Grande. Carles Magraner promises, “this concert will be a unique experience that connects us with Valencia’s deep musical and religious roots.” The viol player and musicologist expressed his satisfaction “at being able to share this project with the Valencian public, featuring prestigious artists, performers, and dancers.” Magraner emphasizes, “with this musical event, we also wish to express our support for the victims and families, as well as the hundreds of thousands affected by the severe flooding in Valencia and other parts of Spain.”
Recovered Music Francesc Villanueva, PhD from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and a graduate in History and Musicology, gave a pre-concert lecture titled “Theatricality and Music in Valencia’s Corpus Christi.” Villanueva explains, “music permeated the entire procession, from the popular tunes of the dulzaina and tabal accompanying dances, to the musical interludes of religious theater, the municipal music of trumpets, drummers, and wind musicians, the plainchant hymns of clergy from parishes and convents, the singing of the blind accompanied by string instruments, to the most elaborate polyphonic religious music performed by the Cathedral’s chapel, which accompanied the procession’s central feature: the Eucharistic processional monstrance.” The expert emphasizes that “the Corpus Christi celebration gradually became the most splendid and attended event in the annual festive calendar, gaining a well-deserved reputation that transcended the borders of the Valencian Kingdom.”