High ranking official breaches ‘all ethics of music’
The Leone Philharmonic Society of Victoria, Gozo has “strongly deplored” the actions of a certain official who has shared a funerary hymn with another band club without having sought the permission of – or even informing – the owners of the work.
The hymn in question is La Croce, composed by Mro Orlando Crescimanno, and is the property of the Leone Band and L-Unjoni Band of Luqa, in whose archives the work is kept.
Deploring the “arrogant and abusive behaviour of a high-ranking official” who, according to the band, gave a copy of the work to the Count Roger Band of Rabat, the band said the matter ran against “all ethics of music”.
The hymn had apparently been played by the Count Roger Band at the beginning of the Good Friday procession from St George’s Parish Church in Victoria, Gozo.
If the Count Roger Band believes it has been deceived by having been asked to play the hymn in question, which it should not have done, the Leone Band said, then the band should also deplore the actions of the individual in question “who passed on this hymn to be played with the intention of irritating the proprietors of the La Croce hymn”.
The band alleged that the same person copied the hymn without the owners’ permission and has been distributing copies of the hymn to a number of bands across Malta and Gozo until very recently.
“The Leone Philharmonic Society is certain that each and every band has musical heritage in its archives that is particularly precious, with significant sentimental and historical value. This feeling is, by and large, shared by various other bands,” the band said.
“If philharmonic societies are not going to care for and defend their musical archives against similar acts and behaviour, all bands will be heading into a jungle where the musical heritage of each society ends up in the hands of people and organisations who certainly do not hold dear the principle of strengthening the band culture in our country, especially if correct ethics are not practiced between bands.”