The Malta Independent on Sunday
Very much in tune: A Tribute to Motherhood at San Anton
Over the many years I have been enjoying concerts at San Anton, I have never seen the Sala Agatha Barbara overflowing like it did for the vocal and instrumental concert, A Tribute to Motherhood, earlier this month. More chairs had to be brought in so guests who were not quite on time, did not have to sit on the stairs – or stand.
Behind these concerts there is Rosette Fenech, always elegant and composed, and making sure everything runs smoothly. She has other responsibilities as well but I have never got round to asking her what they are. All I can say is, that in my dealings with her, she is super efficient and politeness itself, even in those times, when she is obviously has far too much to handle.
*** In this recital both mother and daughter sang. Jacqueline Micallef Grimaud and daughter Chantelle both participated on the stage.
At the reception later I was to discover that Jacqueline’s husband Etienne, is none other than Aldo Micallef Grimaud’s son. Now Aldo, as I am sure you all know, was a pretty good artist. He lived with his parents and brothers, at No 33 while we lived at No 29. I remember my mother enticing me with sixpence every time as a young girl, I went to ‘sit’ for Aldo who painted my three sisters and myself. It is a portrait of its period and yes, Aldo made a very good job of it and we are recognisable. I remember Aldo’s brother Aurelio, walking down the street, singing or whistling some operatic aria. No one seems to sing or whistle these days. Not in our street, anyway.
But enough autobiography.
*** Jacqueline gave us Giulio Caccini’s Ave Maria which was totally unfamiliar to me but it set us in an excellent mood for the evening.
Now Jacqueline is more than a classical vocalist and musical director. She has managed and organised a number of mega concerts both locally and overseas. She also has accomplishments in the world of education, financial services and conservation science. (How does she do it?) The concert was organised in three parts. Her beautiful and peaceful Ave Maria was followed by an anecdote based on a saying by her great aunt regarding children: ‘As babies they are an arm ache, as teenagers a headache and when they’ve grown and flown they are a heartache.’
*** Jacqueline’s daughter Chantelle then sang A Christmas Lullaby from Songs of a New World by R. Brown. The lyrics tell us of a lonely woman who discovers that she is pregnant on Christmas Day. She is filled with joy, hope and excitement and compares herself to the Virgin Mary, ready to undergo any suffering required to bring the baby into the world.
This is a challenging piece but Chantelle sang it with ease and sensitivity. This good looking young lady graduated from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a Masters degree and the University of Malta, too. After the experience she gained with Project Cabaret (in collaboration with Antonella Mifsud) in May 2016, they have now set up Project Productions and there are plenty of ideas floating around.
You can feel the enthusiasm of Jacqueline and her team.
We had three more songs sung by Sean Borg, Chantelle Micallef Grimaud and Analise Cassar.
*** Before embarking on the second part of the programme Analise spoke of the transformation period of the relationship between mothers and their offspring which develops into one of friendship and companionship.
Jacqueline and Chantelle sang that happy song Together Wherever from the Styne & Sondheim musical Gypsy.
This was followed by Analise singing Bring him Home from Les Misérables. Such moving words.
Sean Borg then gave us that hit of all time: Mamma. This song has such emotional power. It is said that when Connie Francis was performing in Las Vegas sitting in the front row with her musicians was Elvis Presley who burst into tears – he had recently lost his mother – and fled the concert hall. He later apologised and sent Connie two dozen roses.
This magical name, Mamma, in any lan- guage, touches the secret chords in our hearts. The song goes back to 1941 when a film was released, Mamma, starring Beniamino Gigli in the role of a famous tenor who returns from the States with his American wife, just in time to see his old mother who is dying. A tear jerker if ever there was one.
Analise, who is also a lawyer, then gave us Schubert’s Ave Maria. The accompanist, Luca Zerafa, cleverly layered both the Schubert and Gounod Ave Marias thus giving us a completely new interpretation. *** The last part of the concert was made up of Pop Classic music. We have all experienced the bittersweet nostalgia of constant separation and reunion from our loved ones. More than ever before, our children go to study and work abroad. There is little we can do except hope they are safe. We have to come to terms with these seperations... and look forward to the joyous reunions.
These sentiments were expressed by the singers and musicians in four songs: Slipping Through My Fingers from Mamma Mia; The Letter from another musical, Billy Elliot; Din l-Omm from Maestro Paul Abela’s Gensna and the fourth Ave Maria of the evening, the most modern of them all, by Charles Aznavour.
This was an evening of enjoyment with a relaxed and talented team who were not only giving pleasure to us but enjoying themselves too.
An evening of sighs, yearnings, blisses, despairs – in short all that makes up each of our lives. mbenoit@independent.com.mt