GozoNews.Com

Gozo’s Gaulitanus Choir has been invited by the Zejtun Local Council to give a Christmas concert at the Zejtun Parish Church, Zejtun, Malta this Friday, the 21st of December, at 7.00pm. Entrance for the concert is free.

This will be the choir’s first performance in our islands after their highly acclaimed participation at the Rencontres Musicales de Mediterranee, an international festival held in Bastia, and their second concert in Malta this year after having given a concert for the President of the Republic at San Anton Palace last May.

The Gaulitanus will open their concert with some Maltese or rather Gozitan works. Ninni…Ninni is an adaptation of the traditional tune for soloists (Josianne Callus, Stephanie Buttigieg, Joseph Calleja, Darren Vella) choir and orchestra (here replaced by organ) by the choir’s founder-director, Mro. Colin Attard. Premiered a few years back during the midnight mass at Gozo’s Cathedral, the work is dedicated to Rev. Joseph Calleja who had instigated the composition of the work and himself one of the participating soloists during this concert.

The second work is Alma Redemptoris Mater an early twentieth century work by Gozitan composer Anton Buhagiar. The work in typical pastoral nature and still performed during church services in Advent and Christmastime features soloists (Rita Dimech, Joseph Calleja, Joseph Buttigieg), choir and orchestra (again here replaced by organ).

The last local work is another composition by Colin Attard, Twila t-triq li twassal Betlem, taken from the oratorio Guzeppi ta’ Nazaret, which was composed in 1990 for the Qala Parish in Gozo to lyrics by Bishop Emeritus Mgr. Nicholas J. Cauchi. This excerpt is one of the choral numbers in this oratorio, which the composer had dedicated to his (late) father Joseph.

The second part of the concert is devoted to a cantata for Christmastide and Epiphany, The Story of Christmas, by American composer H. Alexander Matthews. This work in four grand sections narrates the story of the Nativity starting from the prophecy in the Old Testament to the fulfilment of the prophecy with Christ’s birth. Written in a most accessible musical style, it alternates grandiose choral numbers with arias for soloists as well as recitatives. The main solo work is left to the soprano, who will be the choir’s principal soloist Rita Dimech. Tenors Joseph Calleja and Terry Shaw also have their fair share as well as baritone Joseph Buttigieg.

The Gaulitanus Choir will be conducted by its director, Mro. Colin Attard and accompanied on the organ by its resident organist, Stephen Attard.