“When I conduct one of my works, especially if this happens to be a large scale one that includes soloists, choral forces and an orchestra of symphonic proportions, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction witnessing one of my creations coming to life,” Prof. Joseph Vella explains.

A number of Mro Vella’s own compositions, numbering 129 at the most recent count, including ‘The Apocalypse Verses’, will be performed at Mro Joseph Vella’s birthday celebratory concert on 23 November at St John’s co-Cathedral at 7.30pm.

“As you know, unlike any other form of artistic expression, music does not ‘live’ until it is performed,” he explains. When a composer finishes writing a new work, in front of him he is left with a score which is nothing less than a cold, graphic expression of his musical ideas.  The puzzling conglomeration of dots, signs and various instructions mean very little unless they are actually mutated into a spectrum of sounds.  In other words the composer needs the performer in order to reach out to his potential audience. 

“Conducting my own work in fact gives me this double pleasure,” he said. “When I am in the process of composing a new piece, I usually leave my initial ideas and sketches to simmer in my mind, to the point where I feel that they have actually matured enough that I can start putting them on paper. Very often the difficulty then would be that the mind starts racing ahead of the physical chore needed for its notation”. 

This year, which marks Mro Vella’s 70th birthday, has been a special one for him. Several concerts of his music were held both locally and abroad. Memorable ones which perhaps deserve highlighting are the two he conducted in Austria (both in Salzburg), the four he performed in Italy, (Vicenza, Pistoia, Milano and Collodi) and the two played in Paris (Paris and Creteil). Beside these concerts which were wholly dedicated to chamber works, other individual works of the composer were performed in several music centres abroad, and one as far away as Venezuela.

Since the coming concert is being held at St John’s Co-Cathedral, the programme had to be one with a sacred slant. In view of this he chose two quite large scale choral works from his opus, not only to fit in nicely with the gravitas of the occasion but which, he feels, are representative of his style.  In between soloists, choir and full scale orchestra, there will be over 100 performers taking part. Solo interventions will be tackled by Maria Frendo (soprano) and Cliff Zammit Stevens (tenor). The substantial and quite difficult choral parts will be interpreted by the Laudate Pueri Choir of St George’s Basilica (Director Rev. George J Frendo) while supporting everybody will be the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (leader, Marcelline Agius).

The concert will open with the cantata Domine Jesu Christe op 38. This is quite an early work. In fact its premier took place at the Mdina Cathedral, in 1985. Since then it has of course received several performances, the most memorable of which was the one in the Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Centre, New York, in 2001.

The main work of the evening will be Vella’s Symphony No 3, sub-titled The Apocalypse Verses, the reason for this being that its five movements are all headed with a quote from the Apocalypse. Besides, the text for the tenor solo and choir found in the last movement has been specially adapted by himself from the same biblical source.

He highlights: “The Symphony of course is one of my major works. I worked on it during the first three months of 2003, mostly in the fishing village of Marsalforn, in Gozo. It was then premiered at St George’s Basilica, in July, of the same year.”

Besides the musical side of the evening, Friday’s concert has another interesting slant.

“Since it is being performed exactly on the eve of the Ordination as Bishop-Auxiliary of Mgr Charles J. Scicluna, and since he happens to be a friend of mine, the concert will also be performed in his honour and in his presence,” he pointed out.

 It will also be attended by a substantial number of Mgr Scicluna’s friends who are coming to Malta for his Ordination. These will include at least two cardinals, several bishops and many other dignitaries.

Special thanks go to the sponsors, namely APS Bank, National Lotteries, the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, and St John’s Foundation.

Entrance to the concert will be free of charge.