Carlo Diacono commemoration concert

A concert marking the 75th anniversary of the death of renowned Maltese composer Carlo Diacono is being held this evening at the St John’s CoCathedral.

The concert will feature a performance of Diacono’s oratorio San Paolo Evangelizza i Maltesi, for which the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of its resident conductor Michael Laus, will be joined by no less than five Maltese soloists – soprano Miriam Cauchi, mezzo-soprano Claire Massa, tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens, baritone Alfred Camilleri and bass Albert Buttigieg – as well as the choir of the Goldberg Ensemble.

Diacono was a prolific composer, and while he wrote a number of secular works – including an opera, L’Alpino, which earned him critical acclaim in Malta and beyond – he is primarily known for his sacred works.

He had been commissioned to write San Paolo Evangelizza i Maltesi for the 24th Eucharistic Congress, which was held in Malta in 1913. Due to unforeseen developments, the oratorio was not performed that year, nor in Diacono’s lifetime. Excerpts were performed in 1960, directed by Diacono’s son Franky, but it was only performed in its entirety for the first time in 2009.

Admission to the concert, which starts at 8pm, is free of charge. Formal wear is recommended, while high heels are prohibited to preserve the Co-Cathedral’s marble floor.