Simply put, Pablo Casals (1876-1973) was the cello, for many years in the early 20th century. He established it as a solo instrument, he commissioned many new works, and he helped introduce or re-introduce countless pieces into the repertoire now regarded as standards. (It was Casals who 'rediscovered' the Bach Solo Cello Suites.)

But Casals was more than a musician, and his ideals helped him survive some very difficult political times. He passionately believed that art and life were inseparable. His refusal to play in public after Franco seized power in Spain, his subsequent withdrawal to the French border town of Prades, and his constant peaceful opposition to the Franco regime, contributed to his near-mythical stature.

This documentary portrait of the man, his music and his times, is at once a journey through the Catalan countryside, the source of Casals' inspiration, and an exploration of his complex personality using archive footage, including some very rare film of Casals in performance, and interviews.

Among those recalling the man and his influence on them when the film was made in 1990 are Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, and King Juan Carlos.

The programme title comes from a Catalan song arranged and played by Casals, one of his 'signature tunes'. It was chosen by Placido Domingo as one of his 'Desert Island Discs' because, said Domingo, "the most beautiful sound will be the sound of the birds... This is a beautiful piece... You can hear the sadness of the man in exile, out of Spain, as for many years he was... I think on the island I will be very nostalgic."