Sacred Music at the start of Holy Week - Leone Philharmonic Society

Soċjetà Filarmonika Leone
100, Triq ir-Repubblika
Victoria, VCT1017
Għawdex, Malta
Lill-Mezzi tax-Xandir
2 ta’ April, 2010
Mużika Sagra fil-Katidral ta’ Għawdex
Nhar it-Tlieta, 30 ta’ Marzu 2010, is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Leone ppreżentat il-Programm
ta’ Mużika Sagra fil-Katidral ta’ Għawdex, bis-sehem tal-banda tagħha u l-korijiet.
F’Katidral imżejjen għal dawn il-jiem ta’ festi speċjali marbuta mal-passjoni u l-mewt ta’
Kristu, il-Banda Ċittadina Leone, immexxija mis-surmast direttur Colin Attard, esegwiet
programm mużikali mill-isbaħ quddiem udjenza numeruża. Flimkien mad-direzzjoni tal-
Banda Leone, il-W.R. Kapitlu Katidrali u l-Parroċċa, attendew l-Onor Ministru għal
Għawdex Giovanna Debono u l-Onor. Frederick Azzopardi MP, is-Sindku tal-Belt Victoria
Dr Samuel Azzopardi u l-Aġent President, is-Sur Anton Tabone fost mistednin oħra.
Il-kunċert beda b’minuta silenzju, b’tislima lill-memorja ta’ omm il-President tas-Soċjetà
Filarmonika Leone, u mbagħad fetaħ b’marċ funebri Sqalli, Ah! Si versate lagrime, kantat
mal-banda mill-korijiet. L-ewwel parti tal-kunċert, kienet tinkludi wkoll il-marċ funebri
ta’ Giovanni Giumarra, Croce e martirio.
Il-Cathedral Youth Choir taħt id-direzzjoni ta’ Matthew Sultana, kanta l-motett Ave Crux
Sancta, miktub għall-kor u sopran, mill-istess direttur. Is-solista kienet Annabelle
Zammit. Dan l-ewwel intervent korali kien segwit minn żewġ siltiet barokki għall-banda –
Largo ta’ George Frideric Handel, u l-Adagio ta’ Tomaso Albinoni. Fil-kunċert ħa sehem
ukoll il-Chorus Ecclesiae Cathedralis li kanta żewġ korali sbieħ mill-Oratorju St Paul ta’
Felix Mendelssohn, tradotti għall-Malti minn Dun George Mercieca.
Wara l-kor, il-preżentatur Thomas D’Anastasi ppreżenta t-tielet parti tal-programm li
kienet tinkludi mużika mill-era romantika. Hawnhekk, il-banda nterpretat Blessed Are
They – moviment mir-requiem ta’ Brahms, Adagio for Clarinet ta’ Wagner, li kien
interpretat mis-solista fuq klarinett, l-Assistent Surmast Josef Debrincat, u finalment
Intermezzo mill-opra Cavalleria Rusticana ta’ Mascagni. Il-kunċert intemm bl-esekuzzjoni
tal-innu funebri tal-1911 ta’ Orlando Crescimanno, La Croce, kantat ukoll miż-żewġ
korijiet flimkien mal-Banda Leone.
Apparti mill-parruċċani, għal dan il-kunċert attenda għadd ġmielu ta’ turisti barranin kif
ukoll Maltin, dilettanti tal-baned u tal-mużika sagra, li hekk kif kienu Għawdex għallbtajjel
tal-Għid, ġew jisimgħu din is-siegħa ta’ mużika mill-isbaħ.
Leone Philharmonic Society A.D.1863

Leone Philharmonic Society
100, Republic Street
Victoria, VCT1017
Gozo, Malta
For Immediate Release
2 nd April, 2010
Sacred Music at the start of Holy Week
On Tuesday 30th March 2010, just before the opening of the easter triduum, the Leone
Philharmonic Society presented a concert of Sacred Music at the Gozo Cathedral
Church, featuring the resident choirs and the Leone Band itself. In an aptly decorated
Cathedral Church, the Leone band performed to a strong audience that graced the main
church’s aisle. Together with the administrations of the Leone Band, the Gozo Cathedral
Parish and Reverend Chapter, the Hon. Minister for Gozo, Hon. Frederick Azzopardi MP,
the Victoria Mayor Dr Samuel Azzopardi and acting President Anton Tabone were also in
attendance.
The concert was preceeded with a minute of silence in respect of the recently departed
mother of the President of the band. It then kicked off with two funerary marches: the
Sicilian Ah! Si versate lagrime (Oh yes, shed tears!) in which the choirs accompanied the
band, and Croce e martirio (Cross and martyrdom) composed by former Leone band
conductor, Giovanni Giumarra.
The Cathedral Youth Choir directed by Matthew Sultana sang the sacred motet Ave Crux
Sancta (Hail, Holy Cross) composed for choir and treble soloist by the said director.
Annabelle Zammit from Victoria, was the soloist. This choral number was followed by
two baroque pieces arranged for windband: Largo by George Frideric Handel, and
Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni. The Chorus Ecclesiae Cathedralis also took part in the
concert, with two chorales from Mendelssohn’s St Paul Oratorio, translated into
Maltese by Rev. George Mercieca.
After the choir, compere Thomas D’Anastasi introduced the third section of the evening
which saw three musical items from the Romantic period: Blessed Are They from a
requiem by Brahms, Adagio for Clarinet by Wagner (Solo clarinet: Joseph Debrincat) and
Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni. The concert came to an end with the
rendition of the 1911 funerary hymn La Croce, sung by the two choirs.
Apart from the regular parishoners, the concert saw a good number of foreign and local
tourists who were on the island at the beginning of their Easter recess.
Leone Philharmonic Society A.D.1863

Views from the Gozo Cathedral Church
Distinguished guests in attendance
Colin Attard conducts the Chorus Ecclesiae Cathedralis
Matthew Sultana accompanies the Cathedral Youth
Choir. Far right: Soloist Annabelle Zammit
Pictures captured by: Leo Mario Haber
Assistant Conductor Josef Debrincat on Bb Clarinet
Colin Attard conducts the Leone Band
The Gozo Cathedral adorned for Holy Week
Band and choirs singing La Croce at the very end