Caramelles del Roser: faith, tradition and community

Next session of the ‘Transitions: Music of the Spirit’ series, organised by the Office for Religious Affairs (OAR) and the Museu de la Música de Barcelona, as part of the ‘(Contra)natura’ season at L’Auditori: ‘Les Caramelles del Roser, “goigs” and Easter songs’.

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05/05/2025 - 07:33 h - Culture and leisure

On Saturday 10 May in the Ciutat Vella district, the Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta will be sung. Not only are these songs ancient that are sung while walking, they are also quite unique because of the singing of the ‘Goigs del Roser’, the clothing and the local compositions. That same morning, there will first be a talk at the Tradicionàrius Crafts Centre, and in the afternoon the routewill fill the streets with music, tradition and devotion with the ‘caramellaires del Roser’ singers of Sant Julià de Vilatorta. Finally, following tradition, the route will finish with a Celebration of the Word at the Sant Pere de les Puel·les parish church.

The Caramelles del Roser are a musical, religious and cultural tradition that has been kept alive throughout the years in Barcelona, especially during Easter, also known as Pasqua Florida and Resurrection Easter. This celebration merges Catholic devotion with the richness of Catalan folk culture and is a living expression of faith, joy and social cohesion. The Caramelles del Roser are a reflection of the popular devotion to Mare de Déu del Roser [Our Lady of the Rosary] and the resurrection of Christ. Music and song play a particularly prominent role within this context as instruments of spiritual and community expression. With their joyful lyrics and melodies, ‘caramelles’ are a way of celebrating the message of the gospel while strengthening bonds among community members.

The spiritual dimension of the ‘Caramelles del Roser’ is complemented by their social and cultural function. They bring together people of all ages and backgrounds in a shared practice that fosters intergenerational and intercultural dialogue. Thus, beyond their religious nature, they are a space to celebrate cultural roots and convey values and traditions to future generations. In an increasingly globalised world, the Caramelles del Roser serve as a true bastion of collective identity and belonging to a community.

Musically, the ‘caramelles’ are songs welcoming the spring sung by a group of singers in the streets and squares of villages and cities on Easter morning. ‘Caramelles’ are known for their festive, vibrant sound. They are sung in a group, often accompanied by instruments like guitars or bagpipes, and the singers perform ‘goigs’ and folk songs that praise the Virgin Mary and celebrate the resurrection. The singing of the Goigs del Roser, which have been handed down orally since the sixteenth century, was the origin and is still the heart of the holiday today. The atmosphere is enriched by traditional clothing and floral decorations, which bring a visual component brimming with colour and symbolism. The ‘caramellaires’, or singers, wear traditional festive clothing, and in return they are given food or money.

In short, the Caramelles del Roser are much more than an Easter tradition: they are an expression of a living faith, a tool of social cohesion and an invaluable testimony of the Catalan cultural heritage.

Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta:

In Sant Julià de Vilatorta (Osona), the ‘caramelles’ originated within the Confraria del Roser Confraria del Roser [Brotherhood of the Rosary], which was founded in the village in 1590 and got its seal of approval by the foundational bull dated 23 February 1592, which is conserved at the Archive of Vic. Since then, year after year, this tradition has been enacted non-stop and has become one of the village’s main festivals. In addition to being ancient, the Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta have certain unique features, such as the singing of the ‘Goigs del Roser’, the clothing and the local compositions.

The songs sung at Sant Julià are local and has a structure that similar to the early Middle Ages. In Sant Julià, the ‘Goigs del Roser’ are sung while walking slowly and solemnly, with two alternating rows of ‘caramellaires’ on either side of the street. After each verse, the instrumental group plays the tune. This triple alternation, between the two groups of ‘caramellaires’ and the orchestra, enables the ‘goigs’ to be sung in the streets and squares without interruptions or exhausting the singers and musicians.

The ‘cantaires’ are dressed in a long black cape, top hats and purple Catalan bows at their necks. Every ‘caramellaire’ carries a ‘bordó’ or round staff with a small plate bearing the stamp of Mare de Déu del Roser [Our Lady of the Rosary] on the front and the texts of the ‘goigs’ on the back. The retinue is led by the flag of the brotherhood and followed by a group of musicians wearing long purple capes, top hats of the same colour and the Catalan bows at their necks. The tail of the parade is made up of children dressed festively carrying round staffs with a bouquet of flowers at the top and multicoloured streamers. The ‘cistellaires’ [basket carriers], wearing a cummerbund and cap, call at all the doors to collect the villagers’ contributions. The ‘cistellaires’ carry the traditional richly decorated basket of the ‘caramelles’ atop a pole with a rope and pulley to reach balconies and windows.

CONVERSATION:

Just like every session in the #Trànsits series, there will be a previous discussion with experts who will introduce to the audience the main features of the Caramelles del Roser, their history and the importance of the musical and religious tradition.

Free admission until capacity reached.

Ignasi Roviró Alemany: PhD in philosophy and full professor emeritus of Aesthetics (Universitat Ramon Llull). As a member of the Folklore Research Group of Osona he has written numerous publications related to the region’s oral tradition.

Cris Suñén Vilamala: She has a bachelor’s in History and is a secondary and baccalaureate teacher. She has been a ‘cistellera’ [basket-carrier] in the Association of Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta since 2010 and is currently a member of the organisation’s board of directors.

Hernan Collado Urieta: With a bachelor’s in Law and Music, he has sung in the ‘caramelles; choir since 2013 and has been president of the Association of Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta since 2020.

Ester Llop: She has a PhD in musicology and is a singer. She has studied ‘goigs’ in Catalonia and Andorra and oral religious songs in the Pyrenees and the Lleida Plain. She is a teacher and sings in the traditional Catalan polyphony ensemble Tornaveus. She has written several publications on ‘goigs’.

ROUTE:

The route will reproduce the Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta, in which a procession of ‘caramellaires’ walks through the streets singing. In this case, the route will run through the streets in the Ciutat Vella district, where you can see the ‘caramellaires’ with their unique features: the singing of the ‘Goigs del Roser’, the clothing and the local compositions. The route* will start at the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. Following the tradition, it will end with the Celebration of the Word at Sant Pere de les Puel·les parish church. The route will be supervised by the Association of Caramelles del Roser of Sant Julià de Vilatorta.

Route: Starting at the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar (Plaça de Santa Maria), Carrer de Santa Maria (stopping at Fossar de les Moreres), Passeig del Born, Carrer del Rec, Carrer de la Princesa (stopping at Plaça de la Puntual), Carrer de l’Allada-Vermell, Carrer dels Carders (stopping at Plaça de Sant Agustí Vell), Carrer de les Basses de Sant Pere (stopping at the junction of Carrer de Sant Pere Més Baix and Carrer del Rec Comtal), Carrer del Rec Comtal. Stop and finish in Plaça de Sant Pere).

Registration not needed (route through public spaces).

See you there!

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