La Cofraria del Roser de Vilanova de Palafolls (segles XVIII-XIX). Aproximació al context musical

As a consequence of the Council of Trent and then the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, confraries, or brotherhoods, worshipping Our Lady of the Rosary (Mare de Déu del Roser in Catalan) began to expand considerably throughout the territory. At that time, Vilanova de Palafolls (now Malgrat de Mar, in the Province of Barcelona) was no exception. While the foundation of the Vilanova de Palafolls' Roser Brotherhood cannot be precisely ascertained due to a lack of documentation, a reading of the handwriting and the non-sacramental book conserved in the Diocesan Archive of Girona does show that its activity was documented.
The ledgers of the Vilanova de Palafolls' Roser Brotherhood show that it shaped the social space of the town through its activities in the 18th-19th centuries. As a microinstitution, the brotherhood organised activities outside the sacred enclosure. These activities were connected with musical events and rituals, such as the Goigs del Roser for Easter (goigs are popular poetic compositions in honour of the Virgin or saints), processions, popular dances and musician hire. The brotherhoods' dynamic activity made it possible to engage musicians and hire cobles, or traditional music ensembles, from other towns in Catalonia, such as Blanes, Arenys de Mar and Banyoles.