Generalitat of Catalonia

The Catalan language is at the heart of the 2010 National Day of Catalonia: our language and the many ways of understanding and interpreting Catalan in the different territories that uphold and defend it. Tribute will be paid to Catalan as spoken in Barcelona, the Terres de Ponent, North Catalonia, Alghero, Andorra, the Balearic Islands, Valencia and the Terres de l'Ebre.

Anniversaries of illustrious fellow citizens will also be commemorated. The 150th anniversary of the birth of Joan Maragall will be celebrated, together with the birth, just on a century ago, of Màrius Torres. Lleida-born singer/songwriter Xavier Ribalta will put voice and music to texts by the two poets. This year also marks the centenary of the birth of Girona-born historian Jaume Vicens Vives, who will be honoured with a text read by the actress Sílvia Bel. 2010 also marks the 25th year since the passing of Salvador Espriu, about whom the actor Joan Anguera will read a poem.

This year's National Day celebrations also pay tribute to the Nova Cançó. One of its founding members, Josep Maria Espinàs, will discuss the movement's origins, which date back 50 years. Nova Cançó also featured performers from Valencia and the Balearic Islands, who at this event will be represented by Miquela Lladó and Miquel Gil, accompanied by Artur Gaya and with the complicity of Quico el Cèlio, el Noi i el Mut de Ferreries, who will together perform Jota de Jotes, with a dance by Andrés Corchero. The sardana will also be present thanks to Toti Soler, who will perform his work Sardana Flamenca, accompanied by the Sardana group Mare Nostrum.

The different territories where Catalan is spoken will be represented by Perpignan-based singer, Gisela Bellsolà; Franca Masu and Claudio Gabriel Sanna, from Alghero, and Ester Nadal, an actress and stage manager, who will read one of the poems of Andorran poet and speaker of the parliament of Andorra, Josep Dallerés.

This year the Catalan flag will be handed over by Ramon Banach, the Mayor of Aiguamúrcia, the town where the Cistercian monastery of Santas Creus was founded 850 years ago.

The Mossos d'Esquadra marching band will parade to the accompaniment of "Marxa d'autoritats", performed by the Reus-based cobla band Ministrers de l'Aula de Sons. The Lieder Càmera Chamber Choir will sing the Cant de la Senyera, which accompanies the raising of the flag, and the national anthem of Catalonia, Els Segadors, which will close the institutional event

• Programme of the Institutional Event

Friday, 10 September

• 7 p.m.: Institutional event organised by the Parliament of Catalonia to celebrate 11 September. This year, tribute will be paid to all the people who have been elected president of the Catalan chamber since Lluís Companys.
• 8 p.m.: Broadcast of the message from the President of the Generalitat to celebrate the National Day of Catalonia.

Saturday, 11 September

• 9.00 a.m.: Floral offering by the Catalan Government, led by President Montilla, at the monument to Rafael Casanova.
• 9.30 a.m.: Floral offering at the tomb of Rafael Casanova, Sant Boi de Llobregat.
• 11.30 a.m.: Institutional event at Parc de la Ciutadella, organised by the Catalan Government and the Parliament of Catalonia.
• 6.00 p.m.: The President of the Generalitat will present the Generalitat's Medalla d'Or to the Institute for Catalan Studies and Poblet Abbey as a show of recognition and acknowledgement by Catalan institutions for their extraordinary contributions to the country.

Palau de la Generalitat

The doors of the Palau de la Generalitat will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so that any member of the public who so wishes may visit the facilities of the seat of the Government and the Catalan chamber.

Parlament de Catalunya

There will be two Open Days at the Parliament: Saturday 11 September and Sunday, 12 September, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Time:11.30 a.m.
Place: Parc de la Ciutadella
Artistic Director:: Joan Ollé

• Opening of the event with the procession of the Mossos d'Esquadra marching band, to the accompaniment of the "Marxa d'Autoritats" performed by the cobla band Ministrers de l'Aula de Sons, from Reus.
• Handing over of the Catalan flag by the Mayor of Aiguamúrcia, Ramon Banach, in honour of the commemoration this year of the 850 years of the foundation of the Santes Creus Monastery.
• Raising of the flag while "El cant de la Senyera" is sung by the Lieder Càmera Chamber Choir.
• Lleida-based singer/songwriter Xavier Ribalta, accompanied by the Quartet Diem, with Jorge Labanca on guitar and Xesco Grau on flute, together with the Lieder Càmera Chamber Choir, will perform two texts by Joan Maragall and Màrius Torres, "Oda a Espanya" (Ode to Spain) and "La ciutat llunyana" (The Far-Off City), respectively.
• Josep Maria Espinàs will read a text entitled "How Was the First Song of the Nova Canço Born?" and present the work A la vora de la nit (At Night's Edge), to be performed by the Lièder Càmera Chamber Choir.
• Gisela Bellsolà, accompanied by six musicians, will perform an ancient musical version of "A la vora de la mar" (At the Edge of the Sea).
• Franca Masu and Claudio Gabriella Sanna will sing "Lo país meu" (My Country), accompanied by the musicians Fausto Belaccosi, Alessandro Girotto, Salvatore Maltana and Roger Soler, and the Quartem Diem.
• Actor Joan Anguera will recite Salvador Espriu's poem "Per una suite algueresa" (For a Suite in Alghero).
• Toti Soler, accompanied by Maurici Villavechia, Marc Prat and Joan Anton Mas, and the sardana group "Mare Nostrum" will perform "Sardana Flamenca".
• Actress and stage manager Ester Nadal will read a poem by Josep Dallerés, speaker of the parliament of Andorra.
• Miquela Lladó, Miquel Gil and Artur Gaya will perform Jota de Jotes, accompanied by Quico el Célio, el Noi i el Mut de Ferreries and danced by Andrés Corchero.
• Sílvia Bel will read the text of Vicens Vives's "Fragment de Notícia de Catalunya" (Fragment of News from Catalonia).
• Vox Pópuli will perform a version of the moixiganga entitled "Sitges".
• The Lieder Càmera Chamber Choir will sing the national anthem of Catalonia, "Els Segadors".
• To the tune of "Marxa d'Autoritats", performed by the cobla band Ministrers de l'Aula de Sons, from Reus, the Mossos d'Esquadra marching band will parade on the stage.