The St Paul Choral Society is ten years old this year. As part of its anniversary celebrations it will be presenting a concert of sacred music by the name of “O Praise the Lord” at St John’s Co-Cathedral on Friday, 31 October. This concert will be under the patronage of the President of Malta and Mrs Fenech Adami and will be held in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.

The highlights of this concert will be two new works in the choir’s repertoire, Chandos Anthem No.9 (“O Praise the Lord with One Consent”) by Georg Frideric Handel and the Te Deum in B flat major (“We praise thee, O God”) by Charles Villiers Stanford. The choir will be accompanied by soloists, organ and orchestra, under the direction of Dr Hugo Agius Muscat.

The St Paul Choral Society will also sing a selection of pieces chosen from the string of successful events it has sung in during the past decade.

These works include Sancta Maria, Mater Dei by Mozart, the Kyrie from the Messe Solennelle by Louis Vierne, Regina Coeli by Carmelo Scerri, and I was Glad by Hubert Parry.

The SPCS has more than sixty members from all walks of life who meet every Wednesday for practice in the Undercroft of St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral. In its early years the choir quickly earned a good reputation after successful a cappella concerts at the Anglican Cathedral, Mdina Cathedral and the President’s Palace. It has performed regularly at St John’s Co-Cathedral. To date the choir has performed in 110 singing events. In Advent every year since its inception, the SPCS has led the singing in the traditional Anglican service of Nine Lessons and Carols held at St Paul’s Cathedral and at Holy Trinity Church in Sliema, as well as regularly giving Christmas concerts in various localities in Malta and Gozo.