The Gaulitanus Choir of Gozo recently concluded its 25th international artistic venture, marking a significant milestone with its inaugural tour of Portugal. This long-awaited visit to the Iberian Peninsula followed an invitation from the Maltese Embassy in Portugal, cementing cultural ties between the two nations.
The choir departed for Porto early on 29 November, kicking off the tour with a morning of sightseeing in the city's picturesque streets. That evening, they performed their first concert at the Igreja do Misericórdia, organised in collaboration with the ConcertusProTempore Ensemble. Violinist Jacinto Neves, leader of the ensemble, joined Gaulitanus violinist Pierre Louis Attard and musical director Colin Attard for a memorable rendition of Emanuele Galea's Sinfonia Pastorale. The concert, featuring a program of exclusively Maltese music, earned an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience, led by the museum director Pedro Nunes. The choir's encore performance of the Portuguese folk song Alecrim Dourado further delighted attendees. Maltese Consul in Porto, José Pedro Garcia Fernandes, met the choir prior to the concert, expressing his support for this cultural collaboration.
The tour continued on 30 November in Fátima, where the choir explored the revered religious site before animating Mass at the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Rosário. The performance, attended by H.E. John Camilleri, Maltese Ambassador to Portugal, was met with warm applause from the congregation.
The group then travelled to Lisbon, their base for the remainder of the tour. On 1 December, after a morning of exploring the capital's landmarks with Embassy official Mario Buttigieg, the choir performed at the Panteão Nacional. The venue's exceptional acoustics highlighted the choir's Maltese repertoire, with instrumental preludes by Pierre Louis Attard. The audience, including Ambassador Camilleri and Panteão director Santiago Macias, offered an extended standing ovation. Mro Colin Attard expressed gratitude for the opportunity to perform in such a historic site and presented mementos to the organizers and dignitaries.
The tour's final performance took place on 2 December at the Igreja de São Sebastião da Pedreira. The choir animated Mass, celebrated by Monsignor Antonio Teixeira, and followed with a brief recital that earned heartfelt applause and another standing ovation. Monsignor Teixeira and church administrator Miguel de Pape expressed their appreciation with tokens of gratitude.
Supported by VisitMalta and the Cultural Heritage Directorate of the Ministry for Gozo & Planning, the tour concluded on 3 December with a morning stroll through Lisbon before the choir's return to Malta. The program, aptly titled Sons de Malta, celebrated Maltese and Gozitan music with works by composers Emmanuel Galea, Carmelo Pace, Giuseppe Caruana, Colin Attard, Pierre Louis Attard, and Joseph Vella. Highlights included the debut a cappella performance of Vella's Innu lil Għawdex and solos by soprano Annabelle Zammit, alongside other choir soloists.
This tour was part of the Gaulitanus Choir's expansive 2024 international calendar, which included performances in Rome and Taormina earlier this year. Notably, Colin Attard also chaired the adjudication panel at the Concorso Internazionale Città di Massa in Italy and conducted the Ion Dimitrescu Philharmonic in Romania, featuring Pierre Louis Attard as solo violinist. The Gaulitanus Choir continues to establish itself as a leading ambassador of Maltese and Gozitan culture on the global stage.