Opera star strikes blow for women

Barcelona, where Caballe is "a heroine"

Opera star Montserrat Caballe is leading an assault on an all-male club based at Barcelona's Liceu opera house.

The members of Barcelona's all-male Cercle del Liceu are voting to decide if the world-famous soprano can join.

Caballe, one of Barcelona's greatest stars, regularly sings at the Liceu, but until now has not been allowed to join the exclusive club to which the wealthiest of Barcelona's society belong.

Caballe trained at the Teatro del Liceu

The Cercle even went to court to prevent women joining, but was made to bow to Spain's equal opportunities law and change its statutes so that women could be admitted.

Caballe is the first female member of the public to apply to join.

Albert Montagut, editor of El Mundo de Barcelona, told BBC News Online that the court ruling made the vote a formality.

"It was a minority of members who didn't want her to join in the first place," he said.

Floodgates

"It was a stupid thing that this woman, who is one of the biggest stars of opera in the world, was not allowed in this club."

When Caballe says something people hear it

Albert Montegut, editor of El Mundo de Barcelona

The Cercle feared that allowing Caballe join would open the floodgates to all comers.

But as Montagut explained, the one million peseta (£3,768) club was never going to attract just anybody.

"These people are moving in another galaxy and I can't say that the average residents of Barcelona are arguing about this in cafes," he said.

He added: "But Caballe is a figurehead, a bit of a heroine all the same.

"When Caballe says something people hear it."

"And she has drawn our attention to the fact that such stupid clubs still exist."

Even if the members vote to allow the soprano to join, she will not be the first woman to be allowed in the club.

That distinction belongs to Julia Garcia Valdecasas, a government delegate who is allowed in the club because of her political role.

"It is very interesting," Montagut said, "that a woman was allowed in when she had political power which might be of use to the brotherhood."