As theatres globally face some of the hardest challenges presented to them in the past 18 months, one wonders how and when the arts will once again begin to thrive. Many artistic companies and theatrical spheres are still devastated and after such a long stretch the fear and uncertainty are only becoming harder to process. The survival of the arts, however, holds at its centre the very foundation of its purpose, that of educating.

Theatre work and arts education are like a match made in heaven in providing a comprehensive approach to the arts in general.

Arts education is a pivotal step in shaping the younger generations to become better human beings who can enjoy the deeper forms of beauty. It is through this mantra that Sliema’s community theatre, Teatru Salesjan, has managed to maintain important connections amid the pandemic.

The resilient programming team behind the scenes ensured that the educational programme would somehow still flourish. And that is exactly what we pursued and achieved through the commitment of music directors Desirée Quintano, Stefan Calleja, and myself, all of whom form part of a cultural niche called Sally Sounds.

A Sally Sounds rehearsal

So, what exactly is Sally Sounds?

It is essentially a music-education ongoing training programme comprised of two ensembles − Sally Singers, a vocal group, and Sally Strings, a group of young string players.

Sally Sounds aspires to nurture, embrace and encourage music talent by offering children and youths the opportunity to develop the core foundational skills in vocal and instrumental practice. This educational initiative provides a creative, fun and musical home for youngsters  while simultaneously embracing the importance of positive values and maintaining exceptional standards.

This educational initiative provides a creative, fun and musical home for youngsters

Despite the obvious challenges, no COVID-19 barrier brought the usual weekly rehearsals to a halt for Sally Sounds. Whether online or in person, strict measures were ensured to safeguard all of those involved in order to pursue musical training through regular contact. To say that even the young and energetic Sally Singers were able to get through an entire year of rehearsing and performing with masks on is already a feat achieved in itself.

The Sally Sounds ensemble with leader Gisèle Grima and Yuri Charyguine on accordion during a Christmas carol event in Sliema last year.

At the heart of both groups lies the educational awareness of ensemble practice, a significant and unique aspect that music performance offers. Both groups currently operate separately but the enthusiastic team behind Sally Sounds is keen to see them collaborate more closely once things settle down.

While Sally Sounds keep their focus on both formal and non-formal music education, the leaders fully understand that performance is intrinsic to development. Both groups appear in performance twice a year and spread the pure enjoyment of their work among community and family members alike. This year has been no exception as,  thankfully, Sally Sounds still appeared in an outdoor Christmas Parade concert, a workshop day at Majjistral Park and a drive-through performance for family members to close off the season.

Supported by the ADRC Trust and the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, Sally Sounds remains committed to providing an excellent platform to support the music educational needs for young ones, especially in today’s ever-changing and challenging world.

Music director Stefan Calleja

Gisèle Grima is Teatru Salesjan’s arts educational coordinator.

The team behind Sally Sounds has issued an audition call for new members to join in the upcoming year.

Auditions are set to take place on September 4 and 5 and are open to children aged seven to 14.

For more information, send an e-mail to Julienne Schembri on education@tsmalta.com.

Sally Strings member Brady Frendo

A Sally Sounds workshop with guest tutor Chiara Hyzler.