Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment and Culture Dr Mario de Marco was treated to an impromptu performance by the 500-strong children’s choir that was founded by tenor Joseph Calleja. Mr Calleja was attending the choir’s rehearsal session for the 24 July concert being organised by NnG Promotions at The Granaries in Floriana.
Joseph Calleja’s annual summer concert in Malta has become the most sought after event in the cultural calendar. This year’s concert will bring together three of the world’s most popular musicians in a fusion of classical, pop and rock music as Calleja is joined on stage by Italian singer Claudio Baglioni and the legendary Dionne Warwick.
Calleja, Malta’s biggest success story who enjoys a huge following across the world, has made it his personal mission to make classical music more accessible to those who would normally miss out on such events. The introduction of the children’s choir last year was one of these personal initiatives and today the choir has grown to 500 children aged between seven and 16.
“The audience loved the participation of the children’s choir during the concert last year. Since then we have kept this choir active and in fact, the choir participated in a concert that was organised to honour the Pope’s visit to Malta some weeks ago. We had a massive response to the call for auditions and I’m sure that this year’s participation, under the direction of soprano Gillian Zammit, will be equally impressive,” Mr Calleja said.
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by celebrated Maestro Paul Bateman, will also take part in the concert. Equally comfortable with both classical and pop music, Bateman was a hit with the Maltese crowd when he first appeared on stage with Calleja and Bolton last year.
Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment and Culture Dr Mario de Marco had words of praise for the initiatives taken by Joseph Calleja and NnG Promotions to bring classical music closer to the people.
“This is the perfect way to introduce children to aspects of classical music through an event that is fun and more informal than we usually associate classical music with. This event shares the same aim as the outreach programme, jointly organised by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the St James Centre for Creativity, to introduce children to classical music. Introducing children to classical music is the first step in developing an appreciation for this genre of music. It is admirable that the opportunity is being offered to them for a concert of this calibre that features three top international musicians like Calleja, Baglioni and Warwick,” Dr de Marco said.
HSBC Head of Public Affairs Josef Camilleri also attended the rehearsal session, as HSBC has renewed its support of the children’s choir.
“HSBC is proud to be the official sponsor of ‘The Joseph Calleja HSBC Choir’, which is growing in number and expertise. Encouraging children’s culture and artistic skills is something HSBC promotes worldwide. The choir has now become synonymous with world class concerts and we look forward to the choir’s next performance when they sing with Calleja, Balcony and Warwick in July,” said Mr Camilleri.
A contingency plan is in place to move the concert by a day to Sunday 25th July in case of inclement weather in order to ensure that both the artistes’ and the orchestra’s performance are of the highest possible acoustic and technical levels.
Normal standing tickets starting from €35 are available from all Agenda and Exotique outlets and from www.nngpromotions.com. Tickets for the specially designated standing area are available only from Vodafone outlets at €25 each. The concert is supported by Vodafone Malta, HSBC and Malta International Airport.