PIERRE LOUIS ATTARD, Gaulitana: A Festival of Music manager, gives an overview of the recently concluded ‘GauLive’ series which rounded up the 14^th edition of the festival.

After the initial plans for a hybrid 2021 edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music in spring had to be abandoned when public events were practically barred, the festival team came up with a three-phased artistic plan doable over the rest of the year. Two virtual series were envisaged whilst the restrictions were in place.

Virtually a Cappella, a series of virtual short instrumental recitals from some of Gozo’s small sacred spaces, was followed by Viva Verdi, an innovative cinematic series of operatic scenes from four Verdi operas, where an audio recording with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and soloists was eventually followed by filming on location entirely in Gozo.

Photo: Lorne Cremona

Both were a huge success with an impressive and rather unexpected viewership, followed by transmission on the national TV channel. Yet, the much-desired third phase, a series of live events, remained very much an uncertain affair. However, as soon as the situation permitted, the festival artistic team immediately came up with GauLive, a series of six contrasting concerts in various venues around Gozo in full compliance with health regulations.

The first was held on Friday, September 10, indeed an emotional day for Gaulitana: A Festival of Music, this being the festival’s first live event after more than two years. This duly featured the Gaulitanus Choir, the organiser of the festival itself, and its soprano soloists Anna Bonello, Patricia Buttigieg, Stephanie Portelli and Annabelle Zammit. These were joined by Pierre Louis Attard on the violin and accompanist Milica Lawrence.

Photo: Anthony Grech

Held open-air at the Ministry for Gozo’s Courtyard and entitled Nostalġija: A Feast of Maltese Music, the programme chosen by the festival’s artistic director and the Gaulitanus Choir’s musical director, Colin Attard, consisted wholly of Maltese compositions – by Carmelo Pace, Charles Camilleri, Joseph Vella and Stephen Attard – all in the Maltese language, and all very much ingrained in local traditions and musical idioms.

Albert G. Storace, practically the ‘resident’ critical analyst of the GauLive series through his online reviews of all the six concerts, rounded up his write-up (whilst referring particularly to the concluding number) as follows: “Sounds of merriment, feasting and picnicking, dancing, playing the violin and guitar and sections imitating the sounds of wind instruments and percussion... what a feast!”

The festival continued with a world-class event: internationally renowned musician Wayne Marshall giving his first organ recital in Gozo at the Xewkija Rotunda. Marshall chose a programme which made the most of the majestic proportions of the grand organ and the grandiose church itself – whether with late 19th century or early 20th century works by Charles Marie Widor and Jean Roger-Ducasse respectively, contemporary ones by Andrew Ager and George C. Baker, as well as improvisations in his very particular style.

Photo: Lorne Cremona

This left the very sizeable audience mesmerised by a world-class performance, the likes of which are normally enjoyed in the world’s greatest cathedrals or concert halls which are also adorned with grand organs. Quoting Albert Storace: “Needless to say, Wayne Marshall rose to the occasion. Reminds me that we are very lucky to have such a multi-talented artiste living among us.”

In line with the festival’s artistic policy of presenting very different genres and styles, it was the turn of the Armed Forces of Malta Band to take the stage. As Storace remarked, “variety should add spice to this series”. Returning to Gozo for their first full-scale event since the pandemic, the AFM Band, directed by Captain Jonathan Borg, presented a very varied open-air concert, again at the Ministry for Gozo’s Courtyard.

Works by renowned contemporary wind-band composers such as David Shaffer, James Swearingen and Jacob de Haan, alternated with some British folk-inspired works. A tribute to Beethoven, a Duke Ellington piece and a Charles Camilleri ‘blues’ march completed the programme.

Photo: Lorne Cremona

The fourth concert again featured the Gaulitanus Choir, this time in a wholly choral concert of sacred music at the Xaghra Basilica.

Entitled Songs of Praise, the repertoire was a very particular one: it consisted of several sacred excerpts in the English language, mostly all-time favourites, specifically arranged for the Gaulitanus Choir over the years. Most of the arrangements were made by its founder-director Colin Attard, who also conducted the concert, sometimes together with his brother and Gaulitanus Choir accompanist, Stephen, or with his own son Jean Noel.

Several of the choir’s soloists shared the solo lines, with Pierre Louis Attard joining on the violin and providing two instrumental numbers himself. Again, Storace opined that this was “another feather in the cap in this widely followed concert series. … Quite frankly a continuous feast of very pleasant and edifying singing”.

The penultimate concert featured the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra’s Harp Trio made up of flutist Rebecca Hall, oboist John McDonough, and harpist Britt Arend. All principals at the MPO, they teamed up for Masterpieces in Miniature.

This consisted of very-much appreciated works by Telemann, Bach, Mozart, Bizet, Saint-Saëns, Vaughan Williams, Ibert and Malta’s own Joseph Vella – whether in their original version or as arrangements.

Held at the St Anthony of Padua Church in Għajnsielem, this demonstrated another facet of the festival, namely its outreach philosophy with performances scheduled in different venues across all Gozo. Storace’s remarks speak for themselves: “The concerts which have been presented by Gaulitana in various churches in Gozo: big, medium or small, is a reminder of the very rich heritage Gozo has to offer”.

Photo: Anthony Grech

The GauLive series and indeed the ‘atypical’ 14^th edition of the festival was brought to a climactic ending on October 9 when the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Colin Attard, gave a symphonic concert at the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, the MPO’s first appearance in Gozo since 2019.

A belated commemoration of Beethoven 250^th birth celebrations, this was also a fitting tribute to all who played their part during the past extremely challenging times (including the festival and the Gaulitanus Choir themselves who soldiered on irrespectively, albeit in a restricted way).

Very purposely, the programme consisted of the overture to Egmont and the grandiose Symphony No. 3, Eroica wherein musical journeys full of struggles, tribulations, and despair ultimately end in triumph. Attended by President  George Vella and Mrs Vella, the concert ended the festival on a very high and emotive note.

The last word is again reserved to Albert G. Storace. He entitled his review “Still walking on air: Tremendously good and fittingly superb finale”, adding that “that is how I felt after one of the most extraordinary concerts I have been to. Walking on air, drained, no energy left because all of it was spent absorbing the magic of Beethoven at one of the highest peaks of his achievement. No amount of very well-deserved superlatives could do full justice to the MPO and Colin Attard”.

Photo: Lorne Cremona

Gaulitana: A Festival of Music wishes to express its gratitude to all its collaborators for this GauLive series – namely Dr Anton Tabone, Bank of Valletta, Victoria, Xagħra and Għajnsielem Local Councils, the Catenian Association, the Armed Forces of Malta, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra – as well as the various venues which hosted the concerts. These have been instrumental in making the series possible, thus giving some much-needed breath to live yet safe performing.

An awardee of the European Festivals Association’s EFFE label and principally supported by the Gozo Cultural Support Programme of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo. Gaulitana: A Festival of Music now hopefully looks ahead to a more ‘normal’ 15^th festival edition in 2022.