Song of the Birds ‘El cant dels ocells’ was made famous by legendary cellist Pablo/Pau Casals, who would often perform the work as an encore. On 24 October 1971 at the age of 94, Casals performed the work at the General Assembly of the United Nations when he received the UN Peace Medal.

’Birds sing when they are in the sky, they sing: “Peace, Peace, Peace”, and it is a melody that Bach, Beethoven and all the greats would have admired and loved. What is more, it is born in the soul of my people, Catalonia.’

These Suzuki students in Sydney perform the work as a cry for peace in Ukraine following the ongoing Russian invasion. Artistic communities have felt the impact of the invasion over the last week, with many cultural organisations taking measures to distance themselves from pro-Russian artists.

Read: Russian musicians and artists speak out against Putin’s invasion

Read: Valery Gergiev fired from Munich and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestras

Watch: Pablo Casals performs The Song of the Birds

Watch: London Mozart Players and Michael Collins: Mozart Clarinet Quintet

 

 

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