The restored cupola of the Santa Caterina d’Italia church in Valetta was unveiled on Friday November 25 – the feast day of Santa Caterina (“Valletta gets back its jewel”, TMIS, 27 November). 

Among those invited were government ministers, representatives from the Italian community and major financial sponsors. Due to some odd circumstance, some of the key players in the restoration were not invited and reference to their contribution was omitted.  

As many readers know, this church has been the venue of regular mid-day concerts on Thursdays and Sundays for a long time. At least 500 concerts took place in this church over the seven-year period; these stopped around mid-2011 to allow the restoration to be completed − but continued in the Music Room at St James Cavalier. These concerts were of immense significance. Not only did they provide the initial impetus for the restoration to start, the proceeds from ticket sales and donations were also contributed to the restoration fund.

The concerts were organised under the aegis of St James Cavalier. They were made possible only by the cooperation of a number of talented musicians who volunteered again and again to perform for little or no reimbursement. In this way a substantial amount of money was raised for the restoration fund of the church. These concerts were a magnet for music lovers from all over Malta and they also proved a great attraction for tourists, many of whom returned repeatedly to Malta to enjoy the concerts.

The important and generous contribution of all those musicians, who devoted so much of their time to rehearsing and then performing to a very appreciative audience, richly deserve to be recognised. The concerts played a key role in initiating the restoration and, sadly, this was not mentioned at the celebrations marking its completion. These musicians deserve a big thank you, as do those who attended the concerts and contributed generously to the fund. 

It is hoped that these wonderful concerts, which had become an institution, will be started again in the near future in the restored church.

G.G. Debono

SLIEMA