Churches in Malta serve as introductory spaces into the world of art. Most of us have spent part of our childhood absorbing the visuals, sounds, smells, and architectural compositions of these repositories of culture. Regardless of one's religious convictions, it cannot be denied that experiencing the interiors of churches, together with religious rituals that take place outside of these buildings, determined our primary artistic knowledge. We were taught much about traditional art forms.
A Maltese baroque church can be very overwhelming even for those who are accustomed to its endless chaos; where a painting ends a frame begins, that frame emerges from a polychromatic marble wall, walls are not regular but sinuous, decorative, integrated with sculptural monuments. Baroque spaces were intentionally designed as total works of art, meaning that one would be immersed into an entire artwork composed of indivisible elements. Music was part of this totality. Many would be able to recall the solemn sound of the organ greeting them into church and its use in ceremonies.
For this reason, we always associate the organ with the church. It is an instrument often used for sacred music, and so has been given a specific cultural function. It is not really perceived as versatile. This perception is what Dr. Joseph Lia has been working to change over recent years. Since 2014, he has been organising the Malta International Organ Festival to celebrate the organ and its role within traditional Maltese culture.
Joseph is a well-known baritone who recently graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. He has performed in world-class venues with major figures from the classical music scene. The Organ Festival is an event which brings international musicians to Malta to collaborate with their local peers in order to celebrate organ music and its place within Maltese and European culture.
As explained by Joseph, "The organ is one of the most valuable musical instruments in the world. It works especially well with the excellent acoustics of our churches, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. It leaves a great impression on listeners, enchanting and attracting musical connoisseurs from all over." Organs are powerful instruments that undoubtedly attract people, which would explain their importance to the sphere of sacred art.
I asked him about the place of the organ in contemporary times, whether its sound and use has changed much over time. Joseph informed me that the instrument became increasingly elaborate, allowing composers and musicians to explore further possibilities. Moreover, it has remained central to classical music composed today. One of the Organ Festival's participants, Geoffrey Alvarez, will be premiering a religious-themed piece at the end of this month.
The festival is intended to not only showcase organ music, but to pay homage to Malta's traditional artistic and architectural past, bringing together the tangible and intangible. It is held over a three-week period and consists of 17 separate events, and almost every concert is located in a different venue. The festival will take place in a number of churches in Malta and Gozo.
For the opening concert on November 19 which will be held at St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral, Joseph will be accompanied by organist Wayne Marshall, one of the best organists in the world who will be playing solo pieces. The finale will take place on December 9 at the same venue with a solo performance of Handel's organ concerto. Interestingly, one of the events will take place at the medieval Bir Miftuħ church.
What I found most intriguing about this year's edition of the Organ Festival is Joseph's willingness to explore the unconventional idea of hosting a concert at a venue which is quite the opposite of a church. The festival is collaborating with the Strada Stretta Concept to bridge the traditional environment of the organ, that with which we are all familiar, with a modern-day alternative. The sacred and the profane will come together for a night of classical music in a Strait Street bar. Titled 'An Organist Walks into a Bar', it will take place on December 1 at Loop Bar. By placing something heavily associated with the past in a completely unexpected venue, the festival will attempt to change the established perception of organ music.
Dr. Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, artistic director of the Strada Stretta Concept, has been developing this theme of bringing together past and present, traditional and new, for quite some time now. It underlines Strait Street's role as an experimental cultural space and also shows the potential of the street or bars to be turned into theatre stages.
Whilst we are capable of imagining the sound of organ music in a church ambiance, it is quite perplexing to think of it being played in an informal social setting. The musicians will be made to adapt to the physical and cultural possibilities of the bar, and also to a diverse audience, many of whom, Joseph correctly notes, would only associate the organ with the church.
Joseph worked with the Strada Stretta Concept prior to this event. Last year, he led a baritone pub crawl with accordionist Yuri Charyguine. He also sang alongside Clare Ghigo at 'Francophonie', a night dedicated to Francophone culture.
The Malta International Organ Festival is therefore not solely a celebration of Malta's past, but also a platform for the redefinition of the traditional. It is very easy to compartmentalise the old as separate from the new and to maintain these divisive positions. But in reality this is not the case; the present is infused with elements from the past, and innovative forms emerge from the coexistence of old and new. Although the Strait Street concert is one event in a classical programme, it is an initial effort to fuse together the art lessons provided by our collective experience of churches with those of Malta's modern and contemporary culture.
For more information on the Malta International Organ Festival, visit: http://www.maltainternationalorganfestival.com/