When, in December 2009, Xavier Cos stepped out to sing in Barcelona’s Plaça del Rei, his heart must have been thumping in his chest. A long-standing member of one of Europe’s most established choral societies, the Orfeó Català, he was acutely aware of how significant this concert was – not just for the choir, but for the building that had been its home since 1908. After becoming embroiled in an embezzlement scandal that had seen the Palau de la Música Catalana splashed across the front pages of every national newspaper in Spain, all those associated with the concert hall felt a keen sense of responsibility. They needed to earn back the trust of the Catalan community, and reclaim the humanitarian spirit upon which the institution was founded. Tonight’s concert, given freely to the people of Barcelona, was the first step in that healing process.

“I remember it being very emotional. We needed to show the difficulties that the institution was going through in order to heal our wounds. It was important to cleanse ourselves; it was important to be transparent with society.” In a documentary, broadcast on Spanish television earlier this month, Cos reflects on the circumstances surrounding the scandal. “The events caused uproar among the singers,” he explains. “Our institution, a place we love … was under a dark cloud.”

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