Vox Dulcis Chorale is once again celebrating International Women’s Day with a concert at the Malta Society of Arts premises, Palazzo de la Salle, in Valletta, on March 8 at 8pm.
The all-female choir will be singing choral arrangements of jazz favourites, musical theatre, as well as contemporary songs, with themes such as hope, love and courage.
“I choose songs that entertain with their music but inspire with their lyrics,” choir director John Anthony Fsadni said about the song selection.
Several numbers in the programme promote a sense of positivity, as in the jazz tune Blue Skies, or the quest for freedom, as in the pop song Breakaway. Others describe the journey towards self-realisation, like May It Be from Lord of the Rings, or a young person’s dreams in Kite Flying from the film Les Choristes.
Other songs deal with concepts of inner strength and beauty, as well as the fight against all kinds of discrimination, Fsadni explains.
Paul McCartney’s Blackbird was inspired by the struggles of black women in America and the civil rights movement. The song Something Inside so Strong was written by Labi Siffre, a singer who faced discrimination in his childhood − the song eventually became an anthem against apartheid. Tonight and Somewhere are taken from West Side Story, a musical which also deals with racial tension where women play a prominent role.
A Maltese song, Il-Bellezza ta’ Ġewwa Fik, was written by a member of the choir, Jessica Grech, who is a very active songwriter and participated in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. The song deals with the concept of inner beauty as opposed to more superficial notions of attractiveness.
Despite the themes, the show retains a light-hearted atmosphere, with the songs arranged for a women’s choir and piano accompaniment, Fsadni notes.
Petra Magri Gatt will accompany the choir on the piano and Nicole Vella will host the show.
Vox Dulcis Chorale was established in 2017 and performed their first Women’s Day Concert in 2019.
The choir has also participated in events such as Birgu by Candlelight, Medieval Mdina and Notte Bianca.
Tickets for the March 8 concert are available from showshappening.com.