Folk poetry and the projects to create a Catalan Folk Songbook

Folk poetry, which originally meant folk songs, were a subject of interest and study by Romantic scholars. In Catalonia, the scholars Manuel Milà i Fontanals and Marià Aguiló i Fuster theorised on the concept and collected folk songs with a primarily literary interest. Based on modern postulates, the Orfeó Català promoted the collection of folk songs with a more musical than literary interest, and they disseminated these songs after developing careful harmonies. From the vantage point of folklore studies, Rossend Serra i Pagès worked actively to promote the need to create a Catalan folk songbook. All these efforts led to carry out the Obra del Cançoner Popular de Catalunya (Folk Songbook of Catalonia) project, promoted and financed by Rafael Patxot i Jubert.