El cant dels ocells
"El cant dels ocells" is a traditional Catalan Christmas song and lullaby. It tells of nature's joy at learning of the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable in Bethlehem. The song was made famous outside Catalonia by Pablo Casals' instrumental version on the cello. After his exile in 1939, he began each of his concerts by playing this song. For this reason, it is often considered a symbol of Catalonia.
Joan Baez included it in her 1966 best selling Christmas LP Noël, with a dedication to Casals.
In 1991, Catalan tenor Josep Carreras recorded "El cant dels ocells" on his album José Carreras Sings Catalan Songs. His Three Tenors colleague Plácido Domingo also recorded the song on his 2014 album Encanto del Mar.
The most widely heard version of the song was performed by Catalan cellist Lluis Claret and soprano Victoria de los Angeles at the 1992 Summer Olympics closing ceremony just before the Olympic cauldron was extinguished.
Recordings
- Short speech by Pablo Casals at the United Nations in October 1971, followed by a separate recording of "El cant dels ocells"
- Joan Baez "The Carol of The Birds"
- José Carreras "El cant dels ocells"
- Placido Domingo "El cant dels ocells"