Gloria! 20 years of choral harmony: a concert for choir, organ and orchestra

● Proceeds will go to Hospice Malta and the St Paul’s Anglican ProCathedral Restoration Appeal

The St Paul Choral Society, one of Malta’s leading polyphonic choirs, will present a choral and orchestral concert at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta and St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral, both venues in Valletta, on Friday and Saturday 19 and 20 October at 7.30pm, respectively.

These concerts will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the choir’s foundation. The concerts will be divided in three parts. Part 1 will consist of A. Vivaldi – Gloria (RV589). Two Organ pieces, namely F. Mendelssohn – Finale, from Organ Sonata No. 1 in F minor and C. Saint-Saëns – Poco adagio, from the Organ Symphony will be performed in the second part of the programme, whilst Part 3 will consist of excerpts from various choral works, performed by SPCS in Malta or on its numerous tours abroad. L. Vierne – Kyrie, from Messe Solennelle, G. Fauré – Cantique de Jean Racine, G. Fauré – Sanctus and In paradisum from Requiem G. Fauré, C. Scerri – Regina Coeli, from Oratorio San Gregorio Magno, J. Stainer – God so loved the world, from The Crucifixion, G. F. Handel – Zadok the Priest (1st Coronation Anthem), W. A. Mozart – Ave verum, C. V. Stanford – Te Deum in B flat major. The soloists will be Rosabelle Bianchi (soprano), Claire Massa (mezzosoprano), Connie Frances Zerafa (contralto), Elisabeth Conrad (organ), James Zammit (orchestra leader) and Hugo Agius Muscat (director). Concert duration: around 90 minutes.

The St Paul Choral Society’s repertoire ranges from the 16th century to the present day. Established in 1998, it has around sixty members who meet every Wednesday for practice either in the Undercroft of St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Valletta or at the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Naxxar. Since its inception it has been under the musical direction of Dr Hugo Agius Muscat.

In its early years the choir quickly gained a good reputation after successful concerts at St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral, Mdina Cathedral and the President’s Palace. It regularly performs at St John’s Co-Cathedral, were it presented a concert of French sacred music (including Louis Vierne’s Messe Solennelle) in 2000, a Christmas concert with the Cantores Sancti Juliani in 2001, the oratorio The Crucifixion by John Stainer in 2003, the oratorio San Gregorio Magno by Carmelo Scerri in 2004, a concert in aid of the Malta Hospice Movement in 2005, the Mozart in Salzburg concert in 2006, the O Praise the Lord concert in 2008, the Dona eis Requiem concert in 2010, a Christmas Concert in 2011, the Best of Karl Jenkins concert in 2012, the Gounod concert in 2014 and the Mozart concert in 2016. To date it has performed in over two hundred singing events in Malta and abroad. In Advent every year since its inception, the SPCS has led the singing in the traditional Anglican Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held at St Paul’s Cathedral and at Holy Trinity Church in Sliema. In 2008, as part of its tenth anniversary celebrations, it issued a highly successful CD of Christmas carols with the name O Gesù, Helwa Tarbija. In 2009 it took part in the Malta International Choir Festival and Competition, organised by the Interkultur Foundation. The choir was the only Maltese one which competed with the visiting choirs from abroad. It won a Silver Diploma (Level V), at that time the highest ever placing earned by a Maltese choir ever since Interkultur established its global choir ranking system. In 2011, the choir travelled to London, where it performed at several prestigious venues, including St Paul’s Cathedral, St Michael’s Parish Church Cornhill and Westminster Cathedral. In 2013, the choir toured in Austria, singing in five elite ven-

The St Paul Choral Society’s repertoire ranges from the 16th century to the present day

ues: St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Votive Church in Vienna, Melk Abbey, the University Church in Salzburg and St James Cathedral in Innsbruck.

In 2015, the choir toured Paris, singing in churches namely: La Madeleine, Saint-Sulpice and the Cathedral of Notre Dame; the first Maltese choir ever to do so.

In 2017, the choir toured Spain, following the Camino de Santiago, singing in the prestigious Burgos Cathedral, Leon Cathedral, San Martin Pinario and Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.

In these two 20th Anniversary concerts, St Paul Choral Society will be raising funds for two worthy causes. The concert on 19 October at St John’s Co-Cathedral will be in aid of Hospice Malta whilst the concert on 20 October at St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral will be in aid of St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral Restoration Appeal. Tickets are on sale at www.showshappening.com.

Guests are reminded not to wear stiletto/narrow heels. Flash photography and video recording are strictly prohibited.