As war and conflict gnaw at society’s heart, some 500 choir singers from different countries and religions will be singing prayers for peace at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta at an Inter-Religious Meeting, as part of the Malta International Choir Competition and Festival.
The prayer meeting will be presided over by the Archbishop, Mgr Paul Cremona, OP, on Saturday.
“So many messages get lost in translation, giving rise to confusion, misunderstanding and conflict,” says Fr John Galea, artistic director of the International Choir Competition and Festival organising committee. “Music does not share this problem – it is the only language humankind has in common, transcending all boundaries and reaching that place which goes beyond the human mind and its self-made tragedies. Experiencing people that unite in chant is very powerful, and the energy you get when these singers of different creeds and beliefs hold each other’s hands in song, literally sweeps you off your feet.”
The choir festival has been happening in Malta for the past 18 years, in collaboration with the Interkultur Foundation, under the name of Malta International Choir Competition and Festival, since last year. “In their 14-year history of organising choral singing festivals around the world, this religious ceremony is a first for the Foundation which they have only introduced in Malta,” says Fr Galea. “Our country has carved a reputation in international circles for its religious connections, hence the idea was born to bring choirs from different religions together and unite them in musical prayer and beautiful reflection.”
The prayer evening is structured in three parts, with choirs singing individually, in groups and finally all together. The repertoire is also varied but balanced to include pieces reflecting every religion represented. “Beyond any power struggle lie two fundamental principles which need to be honoured if we are to live in peaceful co-existence, and these are belief in a Higher God who loves man, and mutual respect. The Inter-religious Meeting is a celebration of this unwritten code.”
The public is invited to attend the Inter-Religious Meeting at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta on Saturday at 7.30pm. Entrance is free.
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The Malta International Choir Competition and Festival 2007 is being held between 1-4 November, organised by the Ministry for Tourism and Culture. Seventeen foreign choirs from 13 countries and a Maltese choir will be taking part in 10 categories. The choirs are judged by an international panel of jurors composed of three foreign and two Maltese conductors. The festival kicks off with an opening ceremony in the shape of a local festa in Vittoriosa in the evening of 1 November. Rehearsals and workshops will also take place during the day.
On Friday, competitions of the sacred music categories will be held at St Augustine’s Church in Valletta at 9.30am. In the evening, a gala concert with the participation of the National Orchestra of Malta will take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
In the morning and afternoon of 3 November, competitions of secular music and folklore categories will be held at the Manoel Theatre. Friendship concerts will be held at Freedom Square and Queen’s Square at 11.30am on both days.
Throughout Sunday morning, different choirs will take part during church services in different localities in Malta, and also in a concert at the Salesian Theatre in Sliema. In the afternoon, a prize-giving ceremony and a concert by winning choirs will be held at the Manoel Theatre, followed by a farewell party for participating choirs and working teams.