The University of Malta Junior College Orchestra turned 20 years old in 2018, with the occasion being commemorated in a small and intimate ceremony on 18 December 2018 and with the release of a new album called ‘In Christmas Mood’.
Principal Paul Xuereb, and vice-principal Roderick Vassallo spoke at the ceremony and commended the work that the orchestra had done for the college over the years and the benefits that students joining the orchestra had received.
To commemorate the occasion, the orchestra released a new CD album called ‘In Christmas Mood’. Recorded in the college’s theatre by Vanni Farrugia, who passed away in 2017, with the assistance of Alan Schembri; the album contains no less than 18 musical tracks with a mix of vocal and instrumental pieces being included.
The vocals on the album come from Soraya and Solange Cardona, Annalise Psaila and Kyle Cutajar, who were all trained by the soprano Ruth Casingena. The album’s jacket was designed by the graphic designer Yan Edward Pirotta.
The album features a variation of tracks, with classics such as Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ and John Rutter’s ‘Christmas Lullaby’, joined by instrumental pieces such as Johann Strauss’ ‘Radetzky March’ and a selection of the soundtrack of the hit film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Principal Paul Xuereb was presented with the first copy of this album as a memento by Maestro Manoel Pirotta, who directs the orchestra.
The orchestra was founded in October 1998 and gave its first concert on 18 December of that year. Since it was founded, the orchestra has given over 400 concerts, some of which on a national scale and others overseas. The orchestra in fact has played in countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey and has also received various awards over the years, such as the Jury Special Award in the international rock festival which took place in Istanbul in 2016.
Copies of the album are available for the price of €10 and can be obtained from the Principal’s office at Junior College or directly from Maestro Pirotta, who can be contacted by phone on the number 99886056.