‘Belt u Banda De Rohan’ by Francis Galea, St Joseph Society, Zebbug, 512pp, 2010
In the very first chapter of the late Frans Sammut’s masterpiece Il-Holma Maltija, (The Maltese Dream), that as yet misunderstood hero Mikiel Anton Vassalli, ruminates about his home town of Zebbug and its inhabitants, about whom he waxes lyrical.
In narrating the chequered history of what we currently refer to as il-Banda De Rohan, Francis Galea dedicates his first couple of lengthy chapters to tracing the origins of one of the island’s ancient rural hamlet, and the early peasants who tilled its soil. Due to its central geographical position, Galea echoes Sammut in defining the character of the Zebbug earliest farmers as certainly more confident and enterprising than their neighbours, whose proximity to the islands’ coast conditioned their living in constant fear of being attacked by the marauding corsairs who plied the Mediterranean.
However, there was no safe location on these islands, which could protect the peasants from the ravages of pandemic diseases like the plague of 1813 and the outbreak of cholera in 1837. In times like these the natives of Zebbug resorted to prayer and built chapels like the one dedicated to St Rocco and the conventual-hospital dedicated to St Joseph, presently run by the Franciscan nuns.
Governor John Gaspard le Marchant’s administrational stint (1858-1864) gave rise to a massive programme of construction, and able-bodied men manned building sites like the Royal Opera House, the Valletta market and a number of considerable extensions to the Dockyard. Those who stuck to the soil were regaled by a considerable increase in the price of cotton owing to the American Civil War. It’s interesting to note however, that when the manufacture of cotton eventually did not remain feasible, the Zebbug female population was among the first to swap to lace-making and its more lucrative business outlets.
When it comes to explaining the town’s musical traditions Galea points to the intensive religious activity, notably that focused around the parish church dedicated to St Philip of Agira. Another not so well known factor is the emergence of gentlemen clubs, banned under the Knights of St John but welcomed by Sir William Reid (1851-8).
While the author traces the beginning of these clubs, organised and subscribed to respectively by businessmen, the professionals, actors and theatre-lovers, he does not specifically refer to the formation of any band clubs. However, Galea casually refers to the inauguration of two schools of music in 1860, helmed by Indri Borg and Angelo Galea. “Wonder why’s that?” quizzes the author as he lays the ground for the forthcoming chapter.
I must confess to having been unaware of the controversy which has raged for many a year concerning the Zebbug band clubs’ history before reading this book. In a highly contested and controversial court case, the San Filep Band Club has claimed that theirs was the oldest band club in Malta, arguing that documents allegedly exist proving that San Filep was nine years older than both the l’Isle Adam and the De Rohan band clubs, which were formulated in 1860.
Francis Galea, however, chooses to stick to the writings of P. P. Castagna who clearly stands by his original statement and in chapter three, assuming the role of a Sherlock Holmes, meticulously sifts through all the available documents patiently explaining to his readers, as if to his sidekick Watson, his learned conclusions, namely that the Societa Filarmonica del Zebbug, known since 1889 as Banda De Rohan, is the oldest band club in Malta.
Having said that however, I am sure that we have not heard the last of the argument. Even as I write this, someone somewhere is churning out old drawers from which some old document, some yellow-hued forgotten receipt for services rendered, might re-emerge to re-open the seemingly everlasting controversy.
After having dealt with this burning potato Francis Galea moves on to meticulously trace the development of the band. Nothing escapes his prying eyes as he unfolds the biographies of the various conductors, the numerous musical programmes, the band’s contribution to the annual festas, and all the countless nitty-gritty found in the detailed minutes left by all the hard working past committees and jotted down for posterity.
Such abundance of detail might at times weigh heavily on the casual reader, however, the author is careful to include and assimilate the social history of the town, with the happenings, oftentimes stormy, and consequent decisions, inside the committee rooms.
A number of lavish colour and black and white photographs and various appendices listing committees, musicians, newspapers’ comments, and hymns to the patron saint, printed on luscious art paper give this publication quite an unusually sophisticated finish.
Moreover, this publication further explains how band clubs in Malta are essentially part and parcel of the social and cultural history of these islands. Without the determination of those visionary men who lay the foundations for these institutions, music-making in Malta, would certainly be much poorer.