To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Augustinian Fathers’ presence in Paceville, the Augustinian community at the Mother of Good Counsel Church in Paceville will present an organ recital by John Aquilina, organist at Mdina Cathedral accompanied by Michael Pulis on the trumpet, on Wednesday 7 June at 7.30pm.

This event will officially inaugurate the recently installed organ at the Mother of Good Counsel Church. Entrance is free and all are welcome. The programme includes works by Albinoni, Charpentier, Clarke, Bach, Handel, Martini, Pachelbel, and Stanley.

The organ is the first post World War II fully mechanical pipe organ to be installed in Malta. It was built in 1966 by one of the leading German organ firms – Walcker. It has 11 stops for a total of about 700 pipes and is voiced in the neo baroque style.

It was previously in a church in Stuttgart and was bought by the Augustinians in Malta thanks to a donation made by the Fenech family as the Portomaso contribution to the Paceville community.

The organ was dismantled, reassembled and very ably installed at the Mother of Good Counsel Church by organ restorer Robert Buhagiar. Buhagiar who is an electrical engineer has restored several historical organs in Malta including those at Mdina Cathedral (1774) Qrendi (1778) and Nadur (1897). He is currently restoring the organ in the Mosta Parish Church.

This concert is the last official function that Fr Hilary Tagliaferro will preside as Rector and Prior of the Mother of Good Counsel Church; it also bids farewell to Fr Hilary after eight years of service to the Paceville community. Fr Hilary will now take up his new job as representative of the Augustinian Order at the UN but will remain the director of the Millennium Chapel. Fr Ray Francalanza will replace him as Prior and Rector of the Mother of Good Counsel Church.