First international sacred music festival at St John's

An international four-day festival of sacred music, Unum Deum, is being held for the first time in Malta at St John's Co-Cathdral in Valletta from June 9 to 12.

The artistic director of the festival is leading Maltese international composer Charles Camilleri, who was asked to take it in hand by the Cathedral Chapter.

Professor Camilleri, who told The Sunday Times that the intention is to hold the festival every year, said its aim was to "bring sacred music up to date". Although international in nature, it will concentrate on Maltese participation and on modern sacred music.

To underline this, each year a young Maltese composer will be commissioned to write an Ave Maria for the festival.

For the first edition of the festival this year, the choice has fallen on Albert Garcia, 23, who has written an Ave Maria for mezzo-soprano (Claire Massa) and harp (Annmarie Camilleri Podestà).

Mro Camilleri has managed to attract some prestigious international performers for the festival. At the opening concert on Thursday, June 9, which features the Maltese Abos Brass Ensemble, the French organ virtuoso Marie-Louise Langlais, who is the widow of the famous blind French composer and organist Jean Langlais (1907-1991), will give a recital. Mme Langlais is an ardent fan of Charles Camilleri's organ music.

The Abos Brass Ensemble will open the festival with a fanfare, Gaudeamus, specially written by John Galea.

On the Friday, the Gruppo Polifonico Monteverdi, a 38-strong male choir set up in 1976 and directed by Stefano Sacher, will perform. Their repertoire ranges from Renaissance and Baroque to modern sacred music.

Violinist Sarah Spiteri will play church sonatas by Telemann.

On Saturday, June 11, the Compositori Ragusani, featuring music by composers from Ragusa, Sicily, and its province, will perform at 12.15 p.m.

In the evening, at 7.30, there is a full programme with the Schola Cantorum Jubilate of Xaghra, Gozo, the Medit Chamber Players, a Maltese group, a voice and harp recital by Claire Massa and Annmarie Camilleri Podestà, including Albert Garcia's Ave Maria, and also the Compositori Ragusani.

On Sunday at 9.15 a.m. Mro Dion Buhagiar will conduct Orlando di Lasso's Missa Octavi Toni during Mass.

Entrance to St John's on all four days of the festival is free.

The participation of the foreign performers was made possible with the help of the French Embassy and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.