Songs, heat and authorities: La Misericòrdia brings together a thousand students to sing 'La Balanguera'

PalmaIn the courtyard of La Misericòrdia and under intense heat, a thousand students from 10 schools in Mallorca have united in a simultaneous singing of La Balanguera to commemorate the centenary of the premiere of the musical version of Joan Alcover's poem. The poem, turned into a song thanks to the music of Amadeu Vives, is part of the sentimental and collective heritage of Mallorca and, over time, its verses have transformed into a metaphor for the passage of time, shared memory, and the continuity of a people that, as the poem says, weaves the future from the thread of its history.

At the event, promoted by the OCB, numerous authorities attended, including the President of the Government, Marga Prohens; the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera; the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez; the President of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés; and the President of Obra Cultural Balear, Antoni Llabrés, in addition to representatives of the opposition. While waiting for the authorities to arrive, the students shielded themselves from the sun with some sheets that were later used to form a mosaic with the flag of Mallorca. The teachers and companions, those who could, were in the shade.

Simultaneously, more than 200 educational centers, including schools, institutes, and the UIB, have sung the anthem. The Capella de la Seu, for its part, has recorded the singing of La Balanguera and the Cathedral of Mallorca has thus joined the call. At La Misericòrdia, the participating centers have been CEIP Santa Catalina de Palma, IES Josep Maria Llompart de Palma, the Sant Vicenç de Paül de la Soledat school, CEIPIESO Ponent d'Inca, CEIP Miquel Costa i Llobera de Palma, CEIP Jafuda Cresques de Palma, the Santa Mònica school of Palma (adhered to the Linguistic Segregation Plan), La Santíssima Trinitat, and Mare Alberta.

On stage, precisely the choir of the Mare Alberta school, dressed in uniform, has dominated the event. The ensemble has performed the piece with microphone support. “Singing the anthem of Mallorca together is a very emotional way to say that we are and feel Majorcan. Regardless of the family's origin or the language we speak at home. Don't let anyone question your identity. Being Majorcan is easy: you just have to want to be and love what unites us and the language in which La Balanguerais written,” said the president of the OCB, in front of the students in the courtyard of the Men.

For their part, the President of the Government, Marga Prohens, has highlighted that La Balanguera as an anthem of Mallorca.

A starter for everyoneLa Balanguera as the anthem of Mallorca.

An appetizer for everyone

Once the anthem had finished playing, the closing of the event was announced with the distribution of the planned picnics. This was the signal for the students, hot after their time in the sun, to head quickly towards the distribution points, in a somewhat disorderly, but immediate, exit that marked the end of the event. At the gates of La Misericòrdia, about forty people regretted not being able to access the enclosure. “They told us it was a private event and that the capacity was full,” explained a woman, still outside the courtyard.

In the afternoon, at 8:00 PM, the main event has been organized in the Plaça Major of Palma. The popular singing will be led by the Municipal Band of Music of Palma with the participation of the Orfeó Ramon Llull, the Coral Sons d'Olímpia of the Capitol neighborhood association, the Coral A l'Octava, the Acadèmia 1830 Vint&Sinc choir (Irineu Segarra), the Capella Mallorquina, the Sant Josep Obrer and Corpus Christi choirs, Cap Pela, Sa Corrala, Coral Sant Jaume de Palma, Coral UIB, the Orfeó of the UIB, the Mestres Cantaires choir of the UIB, the Cor de Dones de la UIB, the Cor de Pares i Mares de la UIB, and the youth choir of Joventuts Musicals de Palma and the UIB. Afterwards, there will be a performance by the bagpipers from the School of Music and Dance of Mallorca and a popular dance with Música Nostra.