Two special concerts will be organised during Holy Week by the Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta in collaboration with Sheffield University and the Johann Strauss School of Music. The music chosen for these two concerts is either religious inspired or has a serious content.
The Sheffield University Wind Orchestra is run by the Music Department at the same University. It aims to give a high quality ensemble experience for players, drawn from the whole University, by exploring a large selection of the best of the wide reaching repertoire, now available for symphonic wind orchestra. It holds weekly rehearsals and work to produce exciting and dynamic concert programmes and events.
More important, the Music Department of Sheffield actively encourages new music to be written for the medium both from within the Music Department and beyond. For this reason, Sheffield Music department has commissioned Charles Camilleri with the composition of a work to be premiered by its orchestra.
The Orchestra has established a pattern of high profile concerts. The Malta event has been prepared by intensive rehearsals in the UK and it falls within the Sheffield University Wind Orchestra engagements known as non-university activities.
Last year highlights included joining with Wind Orchestras from Leeds and Manchester Universities for a Grand Celebration of Wind Music in Firth Hall which featured the world première of Il Nostro Tempo by Maltese composer Charles Camilleri.
The production is the first professionally produced CD in which the orchestra recorded Camilleri’s last composition and other wind works by the same author. In May, the orchestra performed at Covent Garden, London with the Chamber Choir to entertain the Bank Holiday tourists and in June performed in Manchester and the next concert was in Glasgow for the BASBWE International Wind Festival
The concerts will take place on Monday 17, Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 March at different venues. The Monday concert will be at St. Augustine’s Church Gozo and will start at 7.30pm.
The Chorus Urbanus will be participating in this event. On Tuesday, the Sheffield University Wind Orchestra will give another concert, open to the general public at Bormla’s parish church. The concert begins at 7.30 pm and the orchestra will be joined again by the Gozitan choir – Chorus Urbanus.
Then, on Wednesday, the Sheffield University Wind Orchestra will present a total new repertoire for its last performance in Malta which will feature among others Charles Camilleri’s composition Il Nostro Tempo. This concert will begin at 7.00 pm at the Aula Magna, Old University, Valletta. Entrance to this last concert is strictly by invitation. Any member of the public, who wishes to attend, is kindly asked to phone on 2340-2421 and ask for Ms Maria Attard for reservation. Entrance to all these concerts is free.