The University of Navarra and the Cathedral of Pamplona have signed an agreement partnership agreement to update and disseminate the historical-musical heritage of the Chapter. The agreement will be carried out between the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), the research center in Humanities and social sciences of campus, and the Music Chapel.

It has been signed by Iciar Astiasarán, Vice President of research of the academic center, and Carlos Ayerra, dean of the Cabildo. The technical part was signed by Ana Marta González, scientific coordinator of the ICS, and Aurelio Sagaseta, chantre-master of the Chapel.

The commitment will be concretized in the update of the historical-musical heritage of the Cabildo to make it available to society. In the framework of agreement, one publication per year will be issued with material from the file of music, in digital and printed format.

"Two years ago, the University approved the creation of the 'Creativity and Cultural Heritage' line, within ICS. Among the actions that have already been initiated, music could not be missing," explained Ana Marta González.

"The transcription, revision and edition of the most significant works of the file constitutes the practical way, which we now have within our reach, to contribute to revitalizing this important dimension of our cultural heritage, making it available to society and paving the way for future research in the field of musicology," he added.

Works by Italian authors linked to Navarre

For his part, Aurelio Sagaseta has assured that it is a musical heritage "created for worship and a faithful reflection of the different aesthetics that went through Europe. Part of it is still suitable for the temple, especially when there is a choir of the Cathedral that has been present at least since the beginning of the 13th century, and another significant part of file is not suitable for the current liturgy - the Church and its tastes change with the centuries - but it can and should be known, preserved and transmitted to the following generations".

According to what he added, in 2017 works by Italian authors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries present in Pamplona will be published. The first is a Mass for eight voices and two choirs, and the psalm Dixit Dominus for eight voices and orchestra by Francesco Grassi, chapel master of the Church of Santiago de los Españoles, at place Navona in Rome. The second is a Mass for eight voices and orchestra by Girolamo Sertori, chapel master of Parma, "an author related to Pamplona and Tudela, which is part of the history of our worship and our culture," he stressed. "His music, unpublished and unique in the world, was composed during his stay in this capital city".

• More information about the project

• Read the full report on the ICS blog