Pablo Casals was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal in October 1971 for his lifelong commitment to peace and the rights of all people. As he said, “I am a very simple man. I am a man first, an artist second. My first obligation is to the welfare of my fellow man. I will endeavor to meet this obligation through music, since it transcends language, politics, and national boundaries.” For the occasion, the ninety-four-year-old Casals performed “El cant dels ocells” (The Song of the Birds), a Christmas carol from his native Catalonia. After his self-exile in 1938 to protest the fascist regime of Francisco Franco, Casals would end concerts with this piece in tribute to the people of his country.

Listen to a carol that Pablo Casals considered one of the most beautiful melodies ever created.