Concert to mark feast of Holy Crucifix at St Dominic’s

The King’s Own Band of Valletta will be giving a concert of funeral marches to mark the feast of the Holy Crucifix at the basilica of Our Lady of Porto Salvo and St Dominic, Valletta, on Friday at 8pm. The concert, O Crux, Ave, Spes Nostra, consists of musical works by Maltese musicians, including a funeral march dedicated to the late Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona OP, who was the patron of the King’s Own Band. The march was written by the band’s director John Galea.

The band will execute Eleġija (In Memory of Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona OP) by Dr John Galea, Memoriam – Mro Carmelo Caruana, Mecum in Paradiso (Alla Memoria di Frankie Catania) – Mro Tancred Grech, 25th Anniversary Yvonne Grech – Dr John Galea, Alla Memoria di Alfred e Carmela Williams – Mro Etienne Spiteri, Alla Memoria di Jesmond Borg – Mro Twanny Borg, Marcia Funebre – Mro Giuseppe Daddi, Una Lacrima Sulla Tomba di Mia Madre – Mro Amadeo Vella, La Passione di Cristo – Mro Anthony Cassar and Rimpianto (Alla Memoria di Mary Bonavia) by Mro Vincenzo Ciappara.

The Holy Crucifix found at the basilica was sculpted in wood by Giuseppe Mazzeo da Vizzini in 1615. It was first put up on the main altar of the old church built in 1571. When the old church was dismantled to make way for the present church, the crucifix was taken to the convent dormitory. When World War II broke out, the Dominican friars feared the church would be destroyed, thus making a vow to the miraculous crucifix that if the church survived enemy action, they would transfer it to the side chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows to replace another one made of papier-mȃché.