Mdina’s St Paul’s Cathedral set to host classical concert ‘A Midsummer Dream’

St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina will serve as the venue for A Midsummer Dream, a classical music concert scheduled for June 25. The event marks the launch of the Mdina Resounds Concert Series, organised by Udjenza, and is intended to bring classical performance into historic and atmospheric settings across Malta.

The concert will feature the Cordia String Quartet under the musical direction of Jacob Portelli. The programme includes works by composers such as Mozart, Rachmaninov, Debussy and Vivaldi. Maltese soprano Miriam Cauchi will perform as the featured soloist.

The programme for A Midsummer Dream will open with the first and second movements of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, followed by Rachmaninov’s Zdes Khorosho. Mozart’s Laudate Dominum, from Vesperae solennes de Confessore, will also be included.

The concert will continue with Massenet’s Meditation from Thaïs and Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras I – Aria (Cantilena). Debussy’s Clair de Lune will provide a moment of calm before the pace picks up with Vivaldi’s Summer from The Four Seasons. The programme will conclude with Gershwin’s Summertime.

The concert is taking place at St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina.

The event aims to combine music with spoken word to create a varied cultural programme. Actor Mikhail Basmadjian will recite selected poems by William Shakespeare, William Blake and Maltese poet Rużar Briffa during the concert. The organisers describe this format as a way to integrate literature and live music in one cohesive performance.

According to Udjenza, the event is designed to mark the seasonal shift to summer, with themes of light, abundance and reflection. The performance is expected to last approximately one hour and will take place within the cathedral itself, which is known for its baroque architecture and acoustics suited to live classical performance.

A Midsummer Dream is the first concert in the Mdina Resounds Concert Series and builds on the success of the Valletta Resounds Concert Series, now in its third year. The Valletta series has focused on staging classical concerts in heritage sites throughout the capital. With the expansion to Mdina, Udjenza plans to extend the series to other cities and historical sites around the island.

This marks the first collaboration of St Paul’s Cathedral with the Resounds initiative. The event has received support from several partners including Visit Malta, Xara Collection, Alistair Floral Design and the cathedral itself.

Tickets and further information are available on Udjenza’s website, udjenza.com.