Recently the Gaulitanus Choir kicked off its post-Yuletide 2024 events with a symposium on sacred music entitled Cantare, Amantis Est: La Musica e la Liturgia. This was held at the Sacred Heart Seminary's Hall, Victoria, Gozo, courtesy of rector Fr Joseph Bajada.

This was led by internationally-renowned Mro Mgr Valentino Miserachs Grau, indeed a very top name in sacred music circles. A distinguished Spanish composer, Miserachs Grau is a former maestro and prefect of the Cappella Musicale Liberiana of the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore and president of the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome.

The symposium opened with Mro Mgr Miserachs Grau giving a detailed talk on Music in the Liturgy - Yesterday, today and tomorrow, underlining the major developments in sacred music throughout the ages as well as the current norms which should guide what is performed during the liturgy - irrespective of the great subjectivity which is still the order of the day. After a coffee break during which the participants socialised, furthered the discussion and met Miserachs Grau, the Gaulitanus Choir's musical director, Colin Attard, moderated a Q & A session entitled Understanding where we want to arrive, during which Miserachs Grau answered several pertinent questions asked by Attard and various participants, of course highlighting his perceptions on the subject matter.

The symposium was fittingly concluded with a short recital featuring three compositions by Miserachs Grau - Psallite, Ave Verum and Cantate Dominum - performed by the Gaulitanus Choir and the composer's assistant, Italian tenor Salvatore di Blasi. The choir was conducted by Mro Miserachs Grau himself with Mro Attard accompanying on the organ.

This educational event, intended principally for seminarians, was supported by Arts Council Malta, and organised in collaboration with Gozo's Sacred Heart Seminary, the Archbishop's Seminary and the University of Malta's Faculty of Theology.

Whereas Miserachs Grau was very pleased with the outcome of the symposium, and very much impressed by what Gozo has to offer, having visited quite a few sights notwithstanding his short stay, the Gaulitanus Choir hopes to have given its share towards a discussion on this theme which currently is very topical and being heavily debated in both the Gozitan and Maltese dioceses.