Generalitat of Catalonia

The events to celebrate the National Day of Catalonia will take place at the fountain of the Ciutadella so that attendees can have a better view.

This year, Barcelona has been appointed the headquarters for the secretary-general of the Union for the Mediterranean. An emblematic milestone that raises Barcelona as the capital of the Mediterranean, a sea that is so rich in ethnic groups, languages and culture. As the result, the institutional event of the National Day of Catalonia on the Eleventh of September this year is structured according to this fact: the Mediterranean capital.

With this in mind, artistic director Joan Ollé has designed an event involving the reading of poems and texts written by Catalan writers based on different regions of the Mediterranean. This event will include Rosa Novell reciting Carles Ribas' Catalan version of "Journey to Ithaca" by K. P. Kavafis, the Arab Orchestra of Barcelona, and Israeli singer Noa performing "Song of the Birds" by Pau Casals. Noa, accompanied on the guitar by Gil Dor, will also perform Joan Ollé's Catalan version of "Beautiful that way" by Nicola Piovani, among others.

In addition to the Mediterranean capital theme, the National Day of Catalonia event will pay tribute to various creative artists from Catalan-speaking regions: celebrating the 50th anniversary of the death of Carles Riba and the 100th anniversary of Isaac Albéniz, the 25th anniversary next year of Salvador Espriu, Baltasar Porcel who passed away this year on the 1st of July, and Joan Margarit, winner of the National Literature Award of the Generalitat 2008 and National Poetry Award of the Ministry of Culture 2008, who will be participating in the event.

In view of this tribute, Montserrat Carulla will read Salvador Espriu's "Per a una suite Algueresa" (For a suite in Alguer), Enric Majó will read a fragment from "El Llibre, el Cel i la Terra" (The Book, the Sky and the Earth) by Baltasar Porcel, Joan Ollé will recite "Coral romput" (Broken Coral) by Vicent Andrés Estellés and Joan Margarit will read one of her own unpublished poems called "Meditació de Vila Joana" (Meditation of Vila Joana).

Similarly, Albert Guinovart and choreographer and dancer, Rosa Muñoz, will perform "Catalunya" by Issac Albéniz. Silvia Pérez Cruz, accompanied by guitarist Raúl Fernández, will perform "Corrandes d'Exili" (Songs of Exile) with lyrics by Joan Oliver (Pere Quart) and music by Lluís Llach. Peret and his Rumba quartet will play "El Mig Amic" (The Half Friend), and choreographer and dancers Cesc Gelabert and the Cobla Sant Jordi-City of Barcelona will perform the Sardana dance, "Enyor", by Lamote de Grignon.

Tribute will also be paid to all of those people who were in any way victims of the civil war and for whom the Law of Historical Memory was approved this year in order to restore their dignity.

• Programme of the Institutional Event

Thursday, 10 September

• 7 p.m. : Institutional event organised by the Parliament of Catalonia to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of president Francesc Macià. There will be speeches by former Presidents Pasqual Maragall and Jordi Pujol, the President of the Generalitat, José Montilla and the President of the Parliament, Ernest Benach. The event will take place in the auditorium of the Parliament.
• 8 p.m. : Issuing of the President of the Generalitat's message, to celebrate the National Day of Catalonia.
• 10 p.m. : Thanks to TV3's "Nit 10", Parliament will open its doors from 10 p.m. to 24 p.m. and there will be live music put on by the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (Higher School of Music of Catalonia).

Friday, 11 September

• 9 a.m. : Floral offering by the Catalan Government, headed by President Montilla, at the monument of Rafael Casanova.
• 10 a.m. : Floral offering at the tomb of Rafael Casanova, at Sant Boi de Llobregat.
• 11.30 a.m. : Institutional event at the Parc de la Ciutadella, organised by the Catalan Government and the Parliament of Catalonia.
• 6 p.m. : The President of the Generalitat will confer the Generalitat's Medalla d'Or (Gold Medal) to the Fire Department of the Generalitat for its vocation, dedication and personal generosity and to the Mexican people for their courage and fraternity in welcoming Republican exile. The event will take place in the Saló Sant Jordi of the Palau de la Generalitat.

Palau de la Generalitat

From 10 in the morning till 7 in the evening, there will be open doors at the Palace of the Generalitat and the Parliament of Catalonia, so that citizens who may wish to may visit the facilities of the seat of Government and the Catalan chamber.

11.30 a.m. start of event

• Opening of event with a version of "La dansa de l'Àliga" by la Patum de Berga, who has composed Llibert Fortuny's music for the occasion. This piece will accompany the parade by the formation of the Mossos d'Esquadra.
• Handing over of the Catalan flag by the Mayor of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Joan Ignasi Elena Garcia, in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of President Francesc Macià.
• Raising of flag while "El cant de la Senyera" (Hymn of the Orfeó Català) is sung, accompanied by the Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música Catalana, conducted by Jordi Casasi Bayer.
• Performance by the Arab Orchestra of Barcelona and Israeli singer Noa of "The Song of the Birds" by Pau Casals.
• Noa, accompanied by guitarist Gil Dor, will perform the Joan Ollé's Catalan version of "Beautiful that way", a melody by Nicola Piovani.
• Rosa Novell will recite Carles Riba's Catalan version of "Journey to Ithaca" by K. P. Kavafis.
• Performance by Albert Guinovart and choreographer and dancer Rosa Muñoz of "Catalunya" by Issac Albéniz.
• Montserrat Carulla will read "Per a una suite Algueresa" (For a suite in Alguer) by Salvador Espriu.
• Silvia Pérez Cruz, accompanied by guitarist Raúl Fernández, will perform "Corrandes d'Exili" (Songs of Exile) with lyrics by Joan Oliver (Pere Quart) and music by Lluís Llach.
• Enric Majó will read a fragment from "El Llibre, el Cel i la Terra" (The Book, the Sky and the Earth) by Baltasar Porcel, a text that he wrote and read in Frankfurt on the 14th of October, 2007, when the Catalan culture was the guest of honour at the Book Festival in Frankfurt.
• Performance put on by Peret and his Rumba quarter of "El Mig Amic" (The Half Fried).
• Choreographer and dancer Cesc Gelabert and the Cobla Sant Jordi- City of Barcelona will perform the Sardana dance "Enyor" by Lamote de Grignon.
• Joan Ollé will recite a fragment from "Coral romput" (Broken Coral) by VA Estellés.
• Llibert Fortuny will perform various fragments of popular Catalan songs on the saxophone.
• Joan Margarit will read one of her own unpublished poems especially written for this event: "Meditació de Vila Joana" (Meditation of Vila Joana).
• Performance of the National Hymn of Catalonia "Els Segadors" by the Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Cobla Sant Jordi - City of Barcelona.

• Llibert Fortuny (29KB)
• Arab Orchestra of Barcelona (28KB)
• Noa (28KB)
• Albert Guinovart (28KB)
• Sílvia Pérez Cruz (32KB)
• Peret (29KB)
• Cobla Sant Jordi - City of Barcelona (34KB)
• Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música Catalana (32KB)