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The #Trànsits cycle, co-organized by L’Auditori – Museu de la Música de Barcelona and the Office of Religious Affairs of the Barcelona City Council, continues its commitment to a plural and intercultural vision that seeks to showcase the historical connection between music, spirituality, and the cultural and religious practices of the different communities living together in the city.

The cycle is made up of sessions that are split into a prior conversation and a celebration, whether ritualistic, liturgical, or in concert form, where music and sound play a prominent role. Now in its third edition, this season will bring the audience closer to the worship of Roma communities, Quechua communities, and Buddhist music, among many others.

It will begin this November as part of the "(Contra) Natura" season of L'Auditori, which embarks on a journey exploring the relationship between humans and nature throughout history.

The term trànsit, which gives the cycle its name, means both action and state. As a passage and an instant, the word becomes a transition between states, a living link that unites heterogeneous elements. The alteration of the everyday soundscape, whether through music or characteristic acoustic signals — such as the tolling of funeral bells, the matracas (wooden noisemakers) of Holy Week, or the adhan of the muezzins — is the prime example of sound as a medium-transforming phenomenon. This transformative capacity, which intertwines social, temporal, and vital spheres, is the key element of music as a transit, as a sonic expression of the divine spirit, and as a connection between humans. It is an invitation to travel through (and from) repertoires, practices, and contexts.

WHAT IS TRÀNSITS?

Barcelona is a rich, diverse, and pluralistic city. Its citizens contribute to this wealth with their diverse cultural backgrounds, habits, beliefs, spaces, and social structures. In terms of beliefs, this plurality is reflected in over 1,000 religious communities and organizations from 36 different traditions, represented in more than 500 places of worship.

In Trànsits, spirituality becomes a gateway for fostering intercultural dialogue through music. Activities like this aim to raise awareness of this plurality among the public while also highlighting its value. Religious traditions also contribute to enriching the city culturally, in this case, through music. Cycles like this one are needed to raise awareness of the diversity that coexists in the city. Trànsits, the music of the spirit is an agora of meeting and a space for debate, knowledge, and enjoyment, allowing the public to become more aware of how music plays a role in shaping collective identities.

Some sessions allow us to listen to and experience this music within its context, such as in the liturgy or the festival that gives it meaning. For example, many people are familiar with gospel music, as it is a very popular genre. However, few people know its spiritual significance, and it is not the same to listen to a gospel choir concert as it is to experience how this music is lived during a religious service. In this sense, the cycle is also an example of participation and sharing of a set of living practices.

The cycle, therefore, presents music in a way that is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious life of the city. Trànsits is a clear example of the interaction between social and cultural domains and of civic participation, as the communities themselves are the true protagonists. For the city, Trànsits is, according to Sara Belbeida, Commissioner for Citizen Relations and Cultural and Religious Diversity of the Barcelona City Council, "an example of civic participation, as it is the communities themselves who open their doors and allow the rest of the city’s residents to share these moments of ritual and liturgy."

The organization of this cycle has been made possible through the collaboration between the Museu de la Música de Barcelona and the Office of Religious Affairs (OAR). The OAR is a municipal service of the Barcelona City Council that ensures the right to religious freedom and freedom of conscience in the city, generating and promoting spaces for dialogue and positive interaction. Furthermore, one of the OAR’s tasks is to raise awareness of the spiritual and religious diversity within the city. With this activity, the OAR continues its collaboration with public cultural institutions in the city to highlight religious diversity as a manifestation of the city’s cultural wealth.

#TRÀNSITS 2024-2025

The sessions we can experience this year are as follows:

1. Worship at the Evangelical Church of Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Church has its roots in the Pentecostal movement born in France in 1921, which spread quickly among the Roma community in Spain. With its first church founded in Lleida in 1965, this congregation has maintained a strong connection with Roma families, being the largest Roma evangelical representation in Spain.
2. Caramelles de Nadal: Associated with the Christmas and Easter celebrations, these involve a group of men, called the esquadra de caramellers, who process into the church and sing a long series of goigs with repeated chants, accompanied by flute, castanets, drum, and small sword.
3. Ave Maris Stella: A work by Cristóbal de Morales, this program will include some of his most important compositions, characterized by the use of cantus firmus, a technique Morales used to integrate pre-existing melodies into his polyphonic textures. It is a Latin hymn, and the name comes from the fact that it begins with these three words. It is sung in the Liturgy of the Hours of the Catholic Church during Marian feasts, specifically at Vespers.
4. Legong (and gamelan): Legong is a type of traditional dance from the island of Bali performed to the accompaniment of a gamelan, a traditional percussion ensemble, an orchestra that plays during religious events.
5. Caramelles del Roser: The caramelles singing has been associated with the goigs of Roser, and in some villages, the Roser is still celebrated during Eastertide (originally, these goigs were dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary). The singing, performed slowly, alternating between two rows of caramellaires, is complemented by the band, which plays the refrain after each stanza. This allows the goigs to be sung without interruption throughout the procession.
6. Danza de las Tijeras: This is a dance typical of the Quechua community, characterized by choreographic competitions between dancers, accompanied by harp and violin. In its original function, it is part of a spiritual, religious, and cultural ritual to promote the successful development of the agricultural year.
7. Jashan: In Islam, qasidas and naats are poetic recitations that play an important role in various ceremonies of the Shia community. These recitations are often performed during liturgical or celebratory events and serve as a form of poetic devotion, praising the purity and spiritual wisdom of sacred figures.
8. Maronite Church: With deep roots in the Syriac region of Antioch, this tradition, closely linked to its cultural heritage, includes hymns and liturgical chants that play a central role in the spiritual life of Maronite communities.

You will soon find information about the events and prior discussions on our website.

If you want to revisit previous sessions, you can do so through this collection on our YouTube channel.

Follow the social media accounts of OAR (IG) and the Museu de la Música de Barcelona (X, IG, FB) to stay up to date with all the sessions: @bcn_interculturalitat @museumusicabcn

Use the hashtags to share!!! #OarBCN #museumusicabcn #Trànsits #BCNInterculturalitat