Valencia Cathedral will host this Tuesday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m., a new performance of the Cant de la Sibil·la, one of the oldest paraliturgical dramas in the Hispanic sphere and one of the most singular expressions of the musical and religious heritage linked to the Advent season.
The performance, which will have free entry until capacity is reached, is organized by the Institut Valencià de Cultura, and will previously feature, at 7:00 p.m., the Toc a Matines, performed by the Association of Bell Ringers of Valencia Cathedral, a solemn call recovered from the 16th-century Consueta Anónima.
Liturgical Tradition and Heritage Recovery
The Cant de la Sibil·la is a medieval prophetic chant, closely linked to the Advent liturgy and Christian eschatological expectation. Its text announces the Final Judgment and the second coming of Christ, and its roots lie in ancient liturgical traditions that, from the High Middle Ages, spread to numerous temples in Western Europe.
For centuries, this paraliturgical drama was part of Christmas Eve celebrations in various cathedrals on the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the territories of the ancient Crown of Aragon, where it acquired notable musical and ceremonial richness. In Valencia Cathedral, it was regularly performed until the mid-16th century, when the provisions of the Council of Trent (1545–1563), aimed at reinforcing sobriety and the strictly liturgical character of worship, led to the suppression of theatrical performances inside temples.
The disappearance of the Cant de la Sibil·la did not, however, mean the total loss of its memory. Preserved liturgical, musical, and ceremonial documentation allowed, centuries later, a rigorous process of historical recovery to be undertaken. In the Valencian case, this heritage restitution has sought not a modern scenic recreation, but the greatest possible fidelity to the forms, texts, and sounds that accompanied this tradition for centuries.
Music, Choir, and Staging
The performance will again feature the participation of Capella de Ministrers, under the musical direction of Carles Magraner, along with the Coral Catedralicia and the Escolanía de la Virgen de los Desamparados, directed by Luis Garrido. This year, the collaboration of the Culture Department of the Diputació de València is also added.
In the Sermon of the Prophets, adapted by Josep Lluís Sirera, students from the Escola d’Art Dramàtic and the Conservatorio Superior de Música de València, as well as the Asociación Amigos del Corpus de València, will participate.
The solo altar boy Gabriel Padilla will perform as the Sibyl from the pulpit, accompanied again by the tenor Jorge Morata. The musical performance will be carried out with replicas of the musician angels from the frescoes of the main altar of the Cathedral.
The director of Capella de Ministrers, Carles Magraner, coordinated the 2006 project to reconstruct the 15 historical instruments, crafted by prestigious Spanish and European luthiers, which are currently used in the performance. In 2012, the ensemble successfully recovered the performance faithfully as it was celebrated in Valencia Cathedral almost five centuries ago, according to the preserved documentation.
This will be the twelfth time that Valencia Cathedral hosts its recovery, consolidated as a outstanding example of the restitution of the Church’s liturgical-musical heritage.