The St Paul Chamber Ensemble, established in 2015, is fast getting a solid reputation of presenting concerts of high calibre. The ensemble presented an autumn series of three concerts, two of which were on Saturday, 28 October at St Francis Church, Valletta, in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. The second concert was held on Friday, 3 November at St Publius Church, Floriana, in collaboration with the Floriana Local Council and the Ghana Mission Foundation, under the distinguished patronage of H.E. President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. Both concerts were compared by Antonella Bugeja Conti.
Under the baton of Chev. Mro Mark Agius, the nearly 40-piece orchestra, which consists of both seasoned and upcoming musicians, presented a recital of sacred music. With an unfaltering and exquisitely delicate sound and ably directed by its experienced conductor, the orchestra accompanied the well-established local singers who participated in this delightful concert.
Mro Agius skilfully directed the orchestra with utmost precision, ease and confidence, employing various techniques that adequately portrayed different stylistic genres of music. The soloists were Karen Gatt Darmenia, Claire Caruana and Frances Catherine Farrugia (sopranos), Christine Dalli (mezzo soprano), May Caruana (contralto), Charles Vincenti (tenor), Ivan Vella (baritone), Louise Andrew Cassar and James Vella Bondin (basses).
The two concerts commenced with an orchestral and vocal rendition of Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus Christi, followed by Ave Maria by Caccini, ably executed by Claire Caruana and May Caruana respectively. Look at the World was superbly executed by all the singers, skilfully accompanied by the orchestra.
The second part of the programme presented Ave Maria based on the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, a 19th-century one-act opera by Mascagni and Mons Marco Frisina's Magnificat were performed flawlessly by Christine Dalli and Frances Catherine Farrugia respectively. Morricone's Nella Fantasia, both sung with excellent, well-rounded technique and with utmost confidence by Claire Caruana and Frances Catherine Farrugia. Brodszky's I'll Walk with God, a favourite piece in the classical repertoire was excellently interpreted by tenor Charles Vincenti.
The final three pieces on the programme were Ave Maria by Lorenc, exquisitely interpreted by Karen Gatt Darmenia, The Lord's Prayer by Malotte was sung by Christine Dalli and May Caruana respectively, and the grand finale ended with the majestic setting of the late 16th-century Renaissance piece Jesu joy of man's desiring by Bach, sung by all the singers, which brought the appreciative audience to its feet in a well-deserved standing ovation.
The autumn series third and final concert will be held on Saturday, 16 December at St Laurence Church, Birgu, at 7pm.