The idea was certainly not novel. It was not reinventing the wheel. But it just goes to show that Malta is no different to other places in the world and what works as entertainment (and a good cause) in one place, also works here.
We are, of course, talking about the Rockestra concert which was organised by the President of Malta and the Malta Community Chest Fund to raise money for charity.
Dr Abela can truly be happy with the success of the event. He had said: “I want to bring the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra closer to the people.” He most certainly did so as thousands of people thronged to the MFCC to watch this truly incredible performance.
The fusion of modern and classic rock, played by the orchestra and some of our local stars really was a lesson in culture and a new lesson in doing charity.
In general, the Maltese are a generous bunch, but we got far too caught up in the materialistic side of things. If one were to notice, we got caught up in a cycle where most of the charity collections involved a chance for the person making the ‘donation’ winning a prize.
Many might argue that the most important thing is that the donations come in, but there is another aspect to it. It is more of a moral and ethical issue, in the sense that people should give something because they want to give, not because they can win something.
In putting on Rockestra, the President and his team managed to hit quite a few birds with just one stone.
The e10 entrance fee was very acceptable, and the way in which tickets sold like hot cakes is ample proof that this is so. In addition, people were given something back and something special at that. They were rewarded with a performance which was mesmerising, entertaining and cultural too, opening some people’s eyes to a different way of experiencing music.
The orchestra also got something out of it, in the sense that its talents were put on show for a much wider audience than usual. In short, it performed different music for different tastes, and it worked a treat.
One hopes that the President and the MFCC will work to establish this event on the national calendar. Of course, there were teething problems and these will be ironed out if the event is held again. And we truly hope that it is. There is something quite fascinating about hearing mainstream rock music interpreted by an orchestra. A very good case in point are the shows put on by Metallica and the San Francisco Orchestra. It all adds a bit more depth and fills the holes left behind by a conventional lead, bass and drum.
Well done to all those involved and we hope that next year’s edition might be even bigger and better. This year a three-hour concert was held, but perhaps next year, performances might be staggered over a weekend or week-long period.
Also, seeing the success of the event, perhaps a couple more events could be organised over the winter at some other venue. One wonders whether the idea of having a national theatre carried more weight than simply being linked to opera.
As an afterthought, the authorities should consider installing proper lighting in the area as the visibility in the parking spaces after the concert was certainly not up to standard and people had quite a long walk in pitch darkness.