El Campaner de Taüll

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The cantata El campaner de Taüll (The Taüll Bellringer) was composed over the period from August 1988 to April 1989. It was first performed in June of that latter year, by the Cardedeu-based choral group Agrupació Coral Cardedeuenca, which was directed at the time by Josep Vila i Casañas, the group also being the dedicatee of the composition. The poem comes from the collection Cançons de la lluna al barret by Miquel Desclot, a work that had been published ten years previously. The work is arranged in four movements, and is written for mixed choir, piano, two flutes, clarinet, bassoon and string quintet. Though the instrumentation had originally involved fewer instruments, it was revised by the composer in 2006. The instrumental parts are well within the capabilities of advanced or upper intermediate students. A small string orchestra can be employed instead of a quintet if the occasion demands.
The choral part is highly melodic, and is not difficult to learn. In addition, since the middle register of the voices predominates, the cantata is not too challenging technically, and it is very educational.