Gozo’s Gaulitanus Choir has just returned from its 23rd artistic choral venture abroad, namely a concert tour in Rome, Italy, between June 7 and 10.

The concert tour was a result of an ongoing Gaulitana: A Festival of Music artistic collaboration and followed an invitation by the Associazione Fondazione Euro Mediterraneo and its artistic director, Enrico Castiglione, who for several years has been responsible for the production, scenery and costumes for Gaulitana’s annual operatic production.

The main event was the participation in the 24th edition of the Festival Euro Mediterraneo through a secular open-air concert at the Parco di Appia Antica on June 8 in the evening.

Entitled Sole e Amore... da Malta all’Italia!, the concert opened with Joseph Vella’s Innu lil Għawdex, which was being performed for the first time in a four-voice arrangement – Colin Attard worked on Vella’s (latest) revision of the hymn – and Giacomo Puccini’s Inno a Roma.

The Gaulitanus Choir at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

The first part of the concert was a Puccini celebration. The choir’s soloists, sopranos Stephanie Portelli, Georgina Gauci, Antonella Portelli, Patricia Borg and mezzo-soprano Claire Massa, gave a rendition of a number of chamber arias.

Violinist Pierre Louis Attard then interpreted Madama Butterfly – Fantasia for Violin as arranged by Alberto Bachmann, and the Gaulitanus Choir concluded the slot with La Bohème – Choral Snippets as compiled by Attard.  

The second part of the concert was then completely devoted to Maltese music – very much underlining Maltese traditions, lifestyles, ambience and identity.

Violinist Pierre Louis Attard interpreted Stephen Attard’s suite Xejriet and the choir performed Carmelo Pace’s Is-Sajf (for female voices only), Lapsi and L-Imnarja, Charles Camilleri’s L-Għanja tas-Sajf, as well as Colin Attard’s arrangements for ‘a cappella’ mixed choir of Giuseppe Caruana’s Innu ta’ Filgħodu and Innu ta’ Filgħaxija.

The choir at St John Lateran

The final part of the concert was then a very typical Italian one. Indeed, Napolitana! – an extended medley of some of the best-loved Neapolitan songs as arranged by Colin and Stephen Attard – brought together all the vocal soloists, violinist Pierre Louis Attard and the Gaulitanus Choir for a rather climactic ending.

The concert was attended by Maltese Embassy official Maria Buttigieg, as well at the FEM’s artistic director, Enrico Castiglione.

This major artistic commitment was complemented by various other events.

On Saturday morning, the choir was invited to attend the exclusive Papal Audience which Pope Francis was holding for the many choirs participating in the ‘IV International Meeting of Choirs in the Vatican’.

In the joyous atmosphere prevailing at the Sala Nervi, the choir joined the thousands of choristers hailing from all across the world in the singing of popular religious hymns before the arrival of the pope.

After the pope’s address, several Gaulitanus members had the opportunity to line up very close to the aisle from where the pope was passing, and nine-month-old Oliver Borg (the son of a chorister) was handed over for a special blessing (with the photo also featuring on L’Osservatore Romano).

The choir at the open-air concert at the Parco di Appia Antica.

The cherry on the cake was when the organisers of the IMCV2024 asked the choir’s director, Attard, to give a comment – which he duly did, also referring to the pope’s address – and the choir to perform a Maltese number – with Attard’s arrangement of Giuseppe Caruana’s Marian hymn Fil-Ħlewwa ta’ Mejju being very well-received. On Sunday at 12.30pm, right after the pope’s Angelus address, the choir animated the extremely well-attended holy mass at St Peter’s Basilica along with the resident Cappella Giulia directed by Mro. Avolio.

Later in the afternoon, at 5.30pm, the choir animated another holy mass, this time at the Archbasilica of St John Lateran, the pope’s seat. The mass was attended by the Maltese Ambassador to Italy, Carmel Vassallo and Mrs Vassallo.

Among the various numbers performed during both masses, pride of place was taken by Maltese excerpts, namely Giuseppe Caruana’s hymns and Pierre Louis Attard’s O Salutaris Hostia.