Gozitan choir Schola Cantorum Jubilate (SCJ) is marking the 800th anniversary of St Francis’s first live crib with a concert at the Ta’ Pinu national shrine on December 29.
In Presepio will feature a selection of Christmas carols from across the ages: from Christmas classics by Mendelssohn and Wagner to works by British composers John Rutter and David Willcocks, and lesser known modern and contemporary pieces.
“Every year, we do our best to find a new and appealing repertoire that challenges the choristers’ musical abilities, and at the same time allows the audience to enjoy a fresh auditory perspective,” conductor and soprano Marouska Attard said.
The Maltese carol Ninni La Tibkix Iżjed will be presented with a new musical arrangement by Paul Portelli. The programme also includes Admirabile Signum, a piece recalling St Francis’s dream of reliving the first ever Christmas, newly composed by Portelli, with lyrics by Francesco Pio Attard.
Pianists Anna Magrin and Amy Borg, organist Joseph Camilleri, the BrassTubes and two of the three SCJ groups ‒ the SCJ Adults Group and SCJ Youths ‒ will perform, all under the direction of Attard.
“All choir groups have been having intensive rehearsals since September and the programme is all taking shape nicely. The concert guarantees to be a feast for the ears thanks to the different voices within SCJ, the festive sounds of the BrassTubes led by Mark Gauci, and that of our own organist and pianists,” Attard added.
Choir director Stefan Attard highlighted how the choir strives for innovation and creativity, with a meticulous search for detail.
“We try to bring forth ‘beauty’ through various forms of art, starting with our carol selection, the deep dives into literature, the use of architectural space, choreographies and last but not least, technology. We want to leave another beautiful memory, helping attendees forget their burdens and to leave the venue with renewed hope for a better tomorrow,” he said, adding that those present this year “will be involved more than ever”.
Entrance to In Presepio is free and no booking is required. The concert is being organised in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Directorate, Ministry for Gozo.