Before the beginning of the unique and ancient procession of the Holy Burial of Jávea, of which there are wonderful descriptions already in the eighteenth century, the sermon of Saint Vincent Ferrer from the balcony where the Valencian preacher admonished the people of Javi, six centuries ago. While the priest speaks before the images and the people gathered in the Plaza de la Iglesia, some voices can be heard subtly coming from the sacristy of San Bartolomé with a “toneta” very familiar that a group of men rehearse in a way that is as evocative as it is mystical. Shortly after it is this psalm -the 51st of the Old Testament and whose author is King David- the one that is intoned with solemnity during the Good Friday procession through the narrow streets of the old town behind the Lying Christ, we speak of the Wretched...
This Gregorian echo, which is actually a chant for Holy Saturday as it appears in the Liber Usualis -book where the liturgical songs are collected in Latin- has various melodies throughout the Catholic world. His music in our town was most likely composed at the end of the XNUMXth century and the beginning of the XNUMXth century, when a series of organists and great musicians from the Archdiocese of Valencia attended the church-fortress, such as the author of the “Divino Nazareno ”, Juan de Guzman. The dates of the origin of this composition and the tradition of being performed on the Day of the Passion and Death of the Lord in Jávea, fit with the sources consulted, since in the 20s of the last century, the Wretched in that procession, Pedro Sapena Catalá, Blas Bolufer Rodríguez “Uncle Blai” and brothers Juan and Carlos Bolufer Cholbi are some of the components of the parish choir during this time in which the members of this choir are called The Singers of the Miserere, and singing, The Motets. These aforementioned xabieros also participated after the Civil War, when Miguel Benavent Catala rearrange the song Wretched y Francisco Sapena Cruañes, Bartolomé Buigues Bolufer, Jaime Bas Pastor, Francisco Gual Bañuls, Francisco Cardona Catalá "El Retoret", Cristóbal Bolufer SegarraBlaise's son Christopher Bolufer Buigues y Pepe Ramos Cholby, enter in The Singers of the Miserere and they go in deep mourning, with a black suit, black tie, white shirt and the Liber Usualis in the hand.
El Wretched rescued by Benavent is interspersed during the procession, with the music of the small string orchestra of the parish, since these are years in which the music band is not as organized or participates in many religious events and the church has its own group musical. He instructs Benavent in the music and tone of the Wretched, Francisco Bordes Blasco, “Uncle Quico the Organiste” who lost his son to tuberculosis and grew fond of Benavent before the war of 36. Benavent was in charge of choir rehearsals in the new era of the 40s, and the capiscol -sochantre- is the one who leads, also doing it during the Good Friday procession.
The first singers join them in the 50s, the brothers Pepe and Ramón Llidó, Pepe Ronda Llidó, Antonio Bover Gasent, Juan Crespo Ruano and in the late 60s and early 70s, Jaime Bas Bisquert Jaime's son Gaspar Cruañes Castell, Francisco Pastor Español, Juan Vicente Berruti Bisquert and Salvador Crespo Doménech, son of John.
In the 80s the bench was refreshed with some components of the recently created Orfeón de Jávea such as the brothers Bartolomé and Pepe Bolufer Castelló, Pepe Buigues Pastor, Manolo Cardona Bas and Pedro Cholbi Carrals and some child incorporation at the end of the same decade, that of Pau Cruanyes Mulet, son of Gaspar, that of Juan Vicente Pastor-Spanish Crespo, son of Francisco, and the brothers Juan Antonio and Jose Vicente Savall Mata. Pepe Mayor Cholbi has been in charge of several years of rehearsing the Wretched with the singers, who also go to Calvary in the "Ascent", to sing the joys and the "Divine Nazarene". This choir performs in the Wretched in the afternoon and in the Way of the cross in the morning until 1993 when the readings at the stations at Calvary are introduced.
One of the exceptional performances outside of Good Friday is the participation in the funeral of JAime Bas Pastor, the singers of Wretched they accompany the coffin in the church with the singing of the motet.
In the 90s the brothers Rafael, Antonio and Vicente Bas Rodríguez and Miguel Ángel Roselló Bisquert add new blood to the choir and it is in the XXI century, when the Wretched has just completed the group that makes it up today, receiving new members such as Alejandro Pascual Ruperez, The brothers Jaume and José Vicente Catalá Guardiola, Pepe Ern Buigues, Salvador Sala Ginestar, Marc Bas Cholbi, Francisco Roselló Bisquert, brother of Michelangelo and the author of this article.
Everything indicates that we will once again enjoy this centenary song through the streets of the town or in the temple if it rains, this Good Friday. Surely we will remember those who can no longer accompany us because they are enjoying the Glory of the Lord and those who, due to other circumstances, will join us from the streets or their homes.
I especially thank Christopher Bolufer Buigues and his family, for the graphic documents provided. Thanks to Cristóbal I have been able to make an adjusted chronology and with his emotional words, it has helped me to delve much deeper into the beauty of the Wretched. Joaquín Sapena Bisquert, Toñi Cardona Bolufer, Pepe Ronda Llido and to the current members of "The Singers of the Miserere" for all the information provided for this memory on Good Friday in Jávea. I am aware that I have been able to omit some names and I apologize, but we will make a second chapter of this very important part of our intangible heritage...
Jose Font Caballero.
Juan says:
My congratulations for rescuing a tradition from anonymity.
It is interesting to recognize that the past of a town is not only in the institutional archives. but also in private files, as in this case. Someone said that in each family, there should be a person who compiles the family history, since these family papers, once the owner has died, are often lost or appear in paper containers. Congratulations must be extended to Cristóbal Bolufer Buigues and his family, Joaquín Sapena Bisquert, Toñi Cardona Bolufer, Pepe Ronda Llidó.
Your historical account of these songs and their components throughout so many years of celebration has instructed me a great deal.
Customs that should never be lost, and it will surely be so since there is new blood.
Greetings Salome Rodriguez.
Emotional and heartfelt article that I have read with great pleasure, despite my scant talent for music and totally null for singing, hence my admiration for those who possess it. Interesting and well documented for our local history, very well written, which makes reading it more pleasant. Let it serve as an example and encouragement for young people, both in the artistic sense and in the documentary and, very importantly, to distance them from materialistic hobbies in favor of intellectual ones.
Congratulations and thank you.