St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Choir were on tour in Mallorca for five days during the week following Easter. Thirty seven people travelled including thirty one singers, with twenty three of them being under eighteen. They were staying in the retreat centre Santuari de Lluc, the holiest site on the island and situated high in the mountains. They sang two services for the community in their Basilica which is also home to the statue of the famous Black Madonna.

On Sunday 7th April they were in Palma Cathedral for the main service of the day and afterwards the congregation were anxious to get a photograph of the choir as can be seen below. 

The choir also travelled around the island, and they gave three concerts, in Muro as part of their post Easter local festival, in Artá to an appreciative audience of eighty local school children, and finally in Sóller where they sang in the evening sunlight on the steps of the church into the town square. Assistant Director of Music Matthew Breen tried out the traditional Spanish organs with very few pedals, and many sets of different trumpets to compensate.

They found time to take a tram ride through the countryside, to eat ice cream on the beach and to sample homemade paella, tapas, and a local dish made from lamb’s liver. The final day was spent back in Palma, firstly visiting the Royal Palace, but then moving onto the many tourist shops to find a souvenir or two.