Gaulitanus Choir in Corsica

The Gaulitanus Choir recently represented Gozo in the Rencontres Musicales de la Méditerranée, part of the European Islands Festivals project, held in Corsica. Musical groups from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Sardinia and Corsica also participated.

The choir, with soloists Georgina Gauci and Rita Dimech (sopranos), Claire Massa (mezzo-soprano) and Joseph Calleja (tenor), was sent by the Ministry for Gozo. The choir was accompanied by its founder-director Mro Colin Attard, and by Charles Zammit, an official at Gozo's Cultural Division.

The Gaulitanus Choir performed during three Masses in Bastia: at St John the Baptist church, St Rocco church and at St Charles church, performing a sacred music repertoire including Maltese hymns.

The choir presented a lecture-recital at the University of Corsica in Corti entitled "Music within the Maltese cultural identity". The choir also participated at a live programme on Radio Corse, during which it presented popular Maltese excerpts while Mro Attard explained the characteristics of Maltese music.

The choir also gave two concerts on sacred music at the Oratorium at the Citadel in Calvi and at St Charles church in Bastia.

At the end of their stay, the Gaulitanus choir participated in the final gala night, held at the Municipal Theatre of Bastia, where the choir performed a "Neapolitan Medley" arranged by Colin and Stephen Attard. The gala night ended with all participants teaming up for an interpretation of a Corsican song, for which the Gaulitanus Choir performed Parte e vulta, composed by B. Susini and orchestrated specifically by Mro Colin Attard.