In exclusive comments to TMIS, Dr Tabone Vassallo said that the National Orchestra is not a toy that one can play with to one’s heart’s content. “The orchestra’s job is to serve the country by disseminating and furthering the appreciation of music to all the nation”, he said.

Asked if the National Orchestra is in a financial crisis, Dr Tabone Vassallo said that both the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister had written to him promising that the situation was to be addressed by a new plan for 2005 and that he was hopeful that the financial problem would finally be addressed.

Returning to the ‘Night of the Stars’ concert in which Joseph Calleja and Miriam Gauci had entertained a capacity audience at the Mediterranean Conference Centre just a few hours before Malta joined the EU, Dr Tabone Vassallo said that the orchestra was forced to play for next to nothing by the organisers and that he had asked the orchestra’s lawyer to sue the organisers (Lou Bondi’s consortium, Welcome Europe) for additional expenses which amounted to circa Lm1,500 that Welcome Europe had refused to pay.

Contacted for his comments on Welcome Europe’s fee to the National Orchestra, WE chairman, Lou Bondi replied that since the company is a private commercial venture, he could not divulge any information in this regard.

The demand created by the Joseph Calleja/Miriam Gauci concert was boosted by several articles written prior to the event.

Asked on the assistance received by the National Arts Council, Dr Tabone Vassallo confirmed that this amounted to Lm45 for the past 13 months. He said that as he is now no longer part of the board, he would not like to comment further on the subject and wished his successor well in the future endeavours of the National Orchestra.