The young members of the BOV Joseph Calleja Children's Choir were thanked for their excellent participation in the Joseph Calleja Summer Concert through a reception which was organised by Bank of Valletta at its Head Office on Santa Venera.

The choir was one of the protagonists of last Monday's concert, as they accompanied the Maltese tenor and the other performers including Maltese band Red Electrick and international acclaimed performer Anastacia. Their number, 'Happy', which opened the second act of the concert was a novelty, in that, in addition to intoning to the catching tune, the children  prepared a choreography to match.

As Gillian Zammit their vocal coach explained in a recent interview, "Rehearsals started about nine weeks before the concert, and gradually grew more intensive as the concert approached." Now nine years since it was set up, the choir seems to be achieving the goal that Joseph Calleja had in mind. Gillian said, "The choir serves as a very good introduction to classical music. They hear a lovely melody and they like it, whether it is a classic piece or not. The experience of sharing the stage with such big performers for them is daunting at first, but eventually they take it in their stride."

Joseph Calleja unfortunately could not make it to the event, however he made his presence felt through a recorded message that was played during the event thanking the children and Gillian for their outstanding performance as they were definitely a major protagonist in Monday's concert. He also thanked the parents for their patience and dedication, as well as the team of volunteers who were invaluable in supporting the choir in the lead-up to the concert. Local band Red Electrick sat down among the children, signing autographs and taking commemorative photos with them.

In his message, the Tenor once again stressed the important work being carried out by the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation in assisting talented youths to pursue their musical career as well as providing assistance to underprivileged children whose situations are not catered for by existing social support programmes.