Dr SIMON MERCIECA explains to Marie Benoît how the coming music festival Gloria: Music Making in Malta came to be and what music lovers have in store at the end of this month
John Bethell OBE, a former distinguished manager of the BBC Manchester orchestra and a conductor of international fame and the founder of a leading international centre for the arts and creativity at the Isle of Man will be coming to Malta for the festival thanks to a proposal of David Elyan, who also lives in the Isle of Man. Mr Bethell is also an international examiner of viola players and the choir master of one of the most prestigious choirs in England, the North Western Festival Chorus, besides being the organiser of the annual international music festival in France.
Why is the very energetic
Dr Mercieca whose profession is that of a historian so interested in getting involved in a music festival? “Well, I have a side interest in music. I studied music in my teen days, but history and culture were always close to my heart. In 2000, the rector of the university asked me to take the helm of the Mediterranean Institute. This covers a number of topics, including History of the Mediterranean, Anthropology, Music, Theatre Studies and Geography. So, at the end of this month, between 27 May and 1 June with the help of members of the Music Division, in particular, the indefatigable maestro John Galea, the Mediterranean Institute has succeeded to build up a whole week of music programmes featuring local and important foreign choirs.”
Dr Mercieca had focused on the study of the Cottonera area for his PhD studies at the prestigious Sorbonne in Paris. His thesis focused on the study of the common people who for 300 years lived in this area, and through this study, he understood that one of the keys of the past historical success lies in the importance that the people of this area gave to culture. “When the emphasis was shifted away from culture, the whole area fell into a social and economic shock. Music is an important component in the cultural primate enjoyed in the past by this area. In fact, during this week of music, I made sure to give space to musical compositions from valid composers of this area. Furthermore, some of the compositions chosen to be performed during these activities are of historical importance to the history of the Cottonera area.”
Why was the title, Gloria: Music Making in Malta, chosen for this festival? “This was determined from a number of pieces chosen which include, Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678-1741) Gloria in Re maggiore RV 589, as well as a number of famous Masses including the Mass Number 11 of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and known as Nelsonmesse in D minor, the Messe Solenelle en l’honneur de Sainte-Cecile by Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
and John Galea’s Mass entitled Messa Ignes Charitatis,” says
Dr Mercieca.
Yes, lots of churchy music. Will other compositions be performed, something more worldly perhaps?
“Yes,” says Dr Mercieca. “On Tuesday 29 May at 7.30pm, the Oratorio Elijah – Oratorio Opus 70 (1846) of Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) will be performed at Saint Paul’s Anglican Cathedral. Then, on Wednesday 30 May, it would be the turn of Bormla parish church. At 7.30pm, the ambitious programme of music will include the famous Miserere of Allegri. It will be performed by Vocalise. Under the direction of Hans Jürgen-Nagel, the virtuoso trumpet
player Joseph Chircop, will play the Sonata in D major for Trumpet, Strings & Bass Continuo G1 by Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709) and the Trumpet Concerto of Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Also under the baton of Hans Jürgen-Nagel is the performance of music with strong historical connections with Bormla’s parish church. This includes three antiphons in honour of the Immaculate Conception, that is Conceptio Tua by Giuseppe Spiteri-Fremond (1804-1878), Sancta Maria Succurre Miseris and Hodie Egressa Est by Paolino Vassallo (1856-1923). The evening will close with Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria and will include the participation of the North West Chorus.”
On Thursday 31 May, it will be the turn of Birgu’s parish church to come alive with music.
Dr Mercieca goes on: “The first part of the performance will be under the direction of a promising woman conductor, Michelle Cachia Castelletti. She will lead the orchestra in the performance of two antiphons with strong nostalgic content for this parish. The first is the oldest surviving antiphon in honour of Saint Laurence, written around 1850. The second piece is also an antiphon, written by Paolino Vassallo, and which this year marks the 100-year anniversary since its composition. A number of lines from this antiphon were copied by Giuseppe Caruana, for the music of one of Dun Karm Psaila’s poems, known as L-Innu ta’ fil-ghodu. The second part of the concert will include the Masses of Charles Gounod and John Galea.” A demanding programme indeed.
The festival will close on Friday 1 June at St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Valletta with the performance of Paulus (St Paul) – Oratorio Opus 36 (1836) of Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). So please take note of all this beautiful music.
I asked Dr Mercieca to tell us more about the performers.
Beside the participation of the British North West Festival Chorus, he elaborates, this week of activities will include leading Maltese choirs, Vocalise conducted by Claire Massa, the Amadeus Choir led by Brian Cefai and the Chorus Urbanus led by John Galea. Furthermore, it will feature leading mezzo Audrienne Murray who performs at Covent Garden as well as the foreign soloists, soprano Karen Johnson, tenor Declan Kelly, baritone Alastair McCall and organist Russell Medley.
A number of leading local singers will be participating in these festivals among whom sopranos Yvonne Galea and Stephanie Degiorgio, tenors Brian Cefai and Charles Vella Zarb and basses Noel Galea, Albert Buttigieg and Joseph Lia.
Dr Mercieca continues to elaborate. “On Sunday 27 May, the North Western Festival Chorus will be animating the high mass at St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral and in the evening will be performing at Le Méridien Phoenicia Hotel at 7.30pm in support of the Community Chest Fund. This concert will feature pieces from Italian opera and works by Vivaldi and Elgar.”
Why this concentration on Cottonera and Valletta, I ask. He explains: “I am strongly convinced that in some cultures music cannot be separated from religion and religion from music. In the same way music cannot be separated from popular devotion. When this division is brought forward one is distancing religious art from culture. The revival of the Cottonera area implies the bringing back of creativity to culture and art. In fact, Mr Bethell insisted that his choir, including important singers – one of them even performs at Covent Garden in London – come out to perform as an expression of thanks for the work done by the parish priests of Bormla and Birgu, to aid the poor people of the area. Poverty in this area is reaching such alarming proportions, particularly in Bormla, that it is not the first time that the parish priest of this locality chose to renounce to his lunch to give it to the people in need. This concert is an expression of thanks to these generous men for their charitable actions”. But, Dr Mercieca insists, it should also be seen as a cultural indicator for governing bodies. “The economic revival in this area will not be achieved solely by social and economic actions but also needs a culture agenda. The latter should be put at the top of government’s priorities for this area. For these reasons, I am proud that the Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta accepted to be one of the main sponsors together with APS Bank, the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and the University Cultural Cooperative – KKU for this week of musical activities.
“I would like to take this opportunity, in concluding, to thank the local and foreign singers, who have accepted to come and sing for free.”