The Solemn March of the Kingdom of Galicia, a historical jewel of Spanish musical heritage

Spain is a country with very ancient musical traditions. Some have such a long history that their origin is lost in time.

The little-known military march that led some Galicians in their fight for Spain in 1808
'Quena fésta e o día', a song from medieval Spain with a great beginning

A prime example of these traditions is a beautiful and martial processional march that has been performed for centuries in northwestern Spain: the Solemn March of the Kingdom of Galicia, also known as the March of the Ancient Kingdom of Galicia or the Pilgrims' March, as it was regularly played in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This musical piece is a historical gem of unknown authorship. It is not even known in what year it was composed, although it is estimated to have been performed since the 16th or 17th centuries.

This march is strongly linked to the national offering to the Apostle James, an annual tradition from the 9th century that is still carried out every July 25th, the day of Spain's patron saint, in the Cathedral of Santiago with the accompaniment of this hymn. Furthermore, it is often performed at some official events and even at funerals. The Law of Symbols of Galicia of 1985 mentions this anthem as "old March of the Kingdom of Galicia" in its fourth additional provision, which contemplates the use of insignia, emblems, titles and traditional signs of Galicia that are not part of the current official symbols of this autonomous community.

Regarding the name of this musical piece, it should be noted that the Kingdom of Galicia is one of the historical entities that formed part of the Crown of Castile. Its creation took place in 910, upon the death of King Alfonso III of Asturias. This kingdom was divided among his three sons: García became the first King of León, Ordoño became the first King of Galicia, and Fruela received Asturias. However, the kingdoms of Galicia and Asturias remained subordinate to the Kingdom of León. Upon García's death, Ordoño became King of León.

For centuries, the title of King of Galicia has been one of the many associated with the Crown of Spain. In 1976, during a visit to La Coruña (capital of the former Kingdom of Galicia), King Juan Carlos I stated: "Rest assured that the Kingdom of Galicia will have in me the most dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of its Kings." Officially, the name Kingdom of Galicia is rarely used. The only official institution that uses the name is the Archive of the Kingdom of Galicia, located in La Coruña, owned by the State and administered by the Xunta de Galicia.

Returning to the music, this march is an instrumental piece, generally performed with bagpipes and drums. Its revival in the 20th century is usually attributed to the O Xestal Folk Group, formed by Carlos Díaz Gestal (1933-1993), who released an album in 1968 that included this anthem (I've searched for the recording online but haven't been able to find it). In 1976, the Airiños do Parque de Castrelos group from Vigo released a version of this march, and re-released it in 1978, this time on cassette and vinyl record. It is as follows:

The most famous version of this march was published in 1978 by the bagpipe group Froito Novo, which was included the following year on the album "Os Nosos Éxitos", a compilation of Galician songs published by Fonomusic:

One of the most original versions of this march was published in 1971 by Los Relámpagos, a rock group formed in Madrid in 1961. This version includes very modern instrumentation and no bagpipes:

In 1999 the Royal Pipe Band of the Provincial Council of Orense included a more martial version of this march on their album "O Camiño", including their well-known snare drums (typical of Scottish pipe bands):

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Main image: Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Galicia in "L'armorial Le Blancq", a work from 1560 preserved in the National Library of France in Paris.