As part of the celebrations marking Rabat Day, the Rabat Local Council and St Paul’s Society will be presenting a musical concert entitled ‘Vjagg Muzikali fl-istorja tar-Rabat’ – a musical voyage exploring Rabat’s recent history.
The social history of the main towns and villages in Malta is intrinsically reflected in the activities characterising the history of their band clubs. In this ‘voyage’ therefore, through the use of various ‘media’, the main events that have formed the history of St Paul’s Club will be used as a tool to develop an outline of the history of its town – Rabat.
Why was a band set up in Rabat in 1869? Why was this band named after Count Roger the Norman? What were the marks left by the two world wars both on social life in Rabat and on the same band? What impact did the flow of mass emigration after the second world war have on the social structure of the town and on the band? These are some of the questions to which this ‘historical voyage’ will try to find an answer.
An apt setting will be provided through the projection of a number of related photographs (some dating back to the late 19th century), which will help those present understand better the social and historical background being described. Details on these historical aspects of the program have been prepared by two known historians: Winston Zammit and Rev. Mgr John Azzopardi.
The musical background to these historical aspects will be provided by a number of musical pieces, each related to the period under discussion. These musical pieces will be presented by the Count Roger Band under the baton of its musical director, Prof. Joseph Vella.
The works presented in the programme will include music composed by the last two directors of the Count Roger Band, Vincenzo Ciappara and Joseph Vella; two directors who, between them, have left a strong imprint on the last 80 years of the band’s history. Of these musical pieces, special mention goes to the cantata ‘Lir-Rebbieha tal-1565’, composed by Vincenzo Ciappara, to the lyrics of Chev. Guze Muscat Azzopardi.
This concert will be held on Sunday 24 September, from 7.30 pm onwards at St Agatha’s Auditorium, Rabat. Entrance is free and the auditorium offers good parking facilities.
Further details can be obtained from the Rabat Local Council (tel: 2145 5000), St Paul’s Society (tel: 2145 0298) and from the Web Site: http://www.sanpawl.rabatmalta.com