The Popule Meus chant is a choral piece passed down orally since time immemorial. Nowadays, it is traditionally performed during Holy Week rites, but in the past, it was also sung in other contexts where conviviality and gatherings of labourers—especially farmers—occurred. Its performance begins with the Feast of Saint Joseph.

The Popule Meus narrates the final phase of Jesus’ life, from Palm Sunday to His burial. The chant is structured in quatrains and is sung in the Sicilian language, specifically in the Bivona dialect, with occasional lines in vulgar Latin.

Holy Week laments are typically passed down orally through generations, but in this case, a written version supports preservation and ritual repetition. The most moving aspect is the vocal modulation: two lead solo voices alternate with a chorus, followed by a third high-pitched solo voice that closes each quatrain. This vocal arrangement strongly affects listeners’ emotions. During Holy Week, the chant is performed on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. Only the relevant section for each day is sung.

There is no specific cultural or social group designated for this chant; participation and learning are purely passion-driven and reserved for the male population. Holy Week laments are among the most important expressions of Sicily’s traditional musical heritage. The Popule Meus is one of the most well-known Sicilian songs depicting Christ’s Passion and Death, and its preservation is crucial to maintaining the cultural and social identity of the community that expresses it.

 

This element has been included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of local interest of the Municipality of Bivona, as part of Intervention 6 “Activation of the Observatory on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Territory through the application of the REIL methodology – Register of Intangible Heritage of Local Interest”, within the “ Metasicani effetto farfalla” project, funded by the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), Mission: Digitalisation, innovation, competitiveness, culture and tourism, Component: Tourism and culture 4.0, Investment 2.1 “Attractiveness of villages.” CUP: J79I22000180006.