Mark Fenech Vella and Noel Camilleri
As part of the Rabat AGAPE Festival 2016, a recital was held at the Verdala Palace of Buskett, Rabat, organised by The Office of the President with the collaboration of Fondazzjoni Paulus, last Saturday 13 February. This was the first time that Fondazzjoni Paulus managed to include a recital in this magnificent Palace in its annual Rabat AGAPE Festival programme which commenced on Friday 15th January with a lecture on sacred vestments at St Publius Church, Rabat, and will come to a close this Sunday 21st February with the open day of St Paul's Catacombs, Rabat, an event being conducted by Heritage Malta with the support of Fondazzjoni Paulus and Legio X Fretensis - Malta.
The recital event at Verdala Palace, Buskett, Rabat, commenced with a coffee break in the main hall of the ground floor of the Palace, followed by a cultural tour around the Palace by the custodian of the Palace Twanny Mifsud who explained extensively on the Palace origins, its works of art and its history throughout the years. The tour ended in the recital hall where the guests were entertained by soprano Claire Caruana and pianist Romina Morrow.
The ultimate aim of this event, supported by Fondazzjoni Paulus, a voluntary and non-governmental organisation based in Rabat Malta, was to present a high cultural activity on a relaxing Saturday afternoon in order to showcase Rabat and its National treasures, this time round by showcasing the historical and artistic aspects of the Presidential Palace of Buskett.
These two activities are part of the Rabat Agape Festival 2016 which is a cultural festival organised annually by Fondazzjoni Paulus during the months of January and February to celebrate the conversion and shipwreck of St Paul, patron saint of Rabat and Malta's diocese. Other events of the Rabat AGAPE Festival include the 9th February annual concert of sacred music at St Paul's Proto Parish and Collegiate Church, Rabat which showcase past and present sacred music of Maltese composers, mainly from the Wignacourt Musuem - the arts museum of the Collegiate Church. This year, the annual concert was held on Saturday 23 January as the feast of St Paul's Shipwreck celebrated on the 10th February will coincide with the liturgical celebration of Lent.
The repertoire
The recital commenced with a popular theme from the Phantom of the Opera "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" (from The Phantom of the Opera - A. Lloyd Webber) and proceeded in this way: I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady - F. Loewe); Quando Men Vo (from La Boheme - G. Puccini); Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (J.S. Bach) - solo piano; O Mio Babbino Caro (from Gianni Schicchi - G. Puccini), Aria (from Cantico Delle Creature di San Francesco d'Assisi - F. Vassallo); Ave Maria (G. Caccini); Sheep May Safely Graze (J.S. Bach) - solo piano; Nella Fantasia (E. Morricone). The recital came to a close by the sone "Time to Say Goodbye" (F. Sartori)
It was extremely a wonderful recital in such a magnificent Palace, to the effect that the audience felt it was really enjoyable, relaxing and culturally enriching. Both the soprano and the pianist played with passion and preciseness.
The performers
Soprano CLAIRE CARUANA commenced her music studies playing the piano, obtaining the ALCM diploma in piano performance. She studied vocal technique and interpretation under the direction of mezzo-soprano Marie-Therese Vassallo and has obtained the LLCM diploma in singing. After graduating at the University of Malta with a Bachelor of Education Honours Degree in Music and Elementary Education, Claire currently teaches music in elementary schools. Claire is a regular performer in concerts. Her repertoire includes oratorios and sacred works, operas, German lieder, Neapolitan songs, operettas and musicals. She interpreted principal roles in many operatic concerts: La Rondine (Magda), Le Villi (Anna), Gianni Schicchi (Lauretta), La Boheme (Musetta); Rigoletto (Gilda), La Traviata (Violetta); Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna), Don Giovanni (Zerlina, Donna Elvira), and Carmen (Micaela). She also featured in a number of sacred works: Messa a Due Cori in D Major (Zerafa), Messa a Due Cori in F Major (Azzopardi), Coronation Mass (Mozart), Requiem (Mozart), Oratorios Dun Gorg and Pawlu ta' Malta (Camilleri), Oratorio Messiah (Handel), PaukenMesse (Haydn), Magnificat (Brixi), Oratorio The Beautiful Lady of Shunnem (Sammut), Oratorio Kristu Sultan (Buhagiar), and Oratorio Demm fuq il-Verna (Vella). In February 2009 Claire sang the solo Soprano part of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, and in March 2009 she interpreted the role of First Lady in the opera production The Magic Flute at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta. She also took part in two editions of ROCKESTRA (2009 and 2010). In December 2011 Claire participated in the APS Bank Annual Concert, interpreting Liturgical Works for St. John's by Nicolo' Isouard, at St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta. In May 2013 Claire featured as solo Soprano in Karl Jenkins' The Peacemakers, together with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Jenkins himself.
Pianist and Organist ROMINA MORROW - studied piano under the tutorship of Fransina Abela and then continued advanced technique and interpretation with Lucia Micallef. She has performed as a solist as well as an accompaniest in various musical events organised at the Manoel Theatre, Casino Maltese, President's Palace and the Sagrestia Vault of the Valletta Waterfront amongst many others. As a second instrument, Romina studied the Pipe Organ under the guidance of the later Alberto Borg OSA. She has given organ recitals and accompanied various artists and choirs in concerts held in local and overseas churches such as St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, St Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral in Mdina and the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. Besides being a musician, Romina is also a graduate in law from the University of Malta (1997) where she also pursued her studies in Canon Law.
Fondazzjoni Paulus would like to thank Her Excellency the President of the Republic Dr Marie Louise Coleiro Preca for the organization her office conducted throughout.
The Rabat Agape Festival has the support of the Good Causes Fund, APS Bank, The Janatha Stubbs Foundation, ABERTAX, Central Bank of Malta, Fondazzjoni Patri Martin Caruana O.P, Mr Green, Wignacourt Museum and GreenMT.