Nani, Azopardi and St John concert

With reference to Mariella Cassar's interesting article on Anton Nani's Requiem (The Sunday Times, August 21) I would like to draw your readers' attention to the work's outstanding revival execution. This was that of November 3, 1989, at the Mdina Cathedral with Joseph Gatt as the conductor.

I remember Mro Gatt coming to my house months before to discuss his planned performance of the Requiem. It was then that I suggested that he should look into the possibility of performing not the Ciappara edition for mixed voices but the original score for four male soloists, male choir and symphony orchestra.

Mro Gatt's brilliant execution disclosed a work of raw power, high creative invention and deep spiritual commitment, more compelling than the Ciappara version. This impression was confirmed when the concert was repeated in Birkirkara's basilica on December 1, as a presentation of The Malta Summit 1989.

This performance of Nani's original score was one of the concerts included in my article 'Significant Concerts: a personal appraisal' (The Sunday Times, April 3). Another was the concert that marked the 40th anniversary of Malta's Independence at the Palace in Valletta on September 21, 2004, during which Jesmond Grixti's exciting Hagar Qim, for guitar and orchestra, commissioned by Dr Mario Tabone-Vassallo, then president of the National Orchestra, was premiered.

I can therefore assure Dr Tabone-Vassallo (The Sunday Times, August 14) that I, for one, was aware of and appreciated his efforts in favour of the Maltese musical heritage.

Unfortunately, such efforts often do not have the wholehearted backing and concrete action of the establishment and, until there is a change in this attitude, our musical heritage will continue to be downgraded to the detriment of national pride and achievements. Put in other words, Malta will continue to be made to put on the musical dress (sometimes ill-fitting) of other nations to parade before its citizens and visitors.

Within this context, I must once more mention the commendable efforts of the APS Bank in support of our cultural heritage and bring it to the attention of the authorities, institutions set up by them and sponsoring business enterprises as an example of what should be done in this field.

The latest instance was the APS Bank sponsorship of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter and the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation concert at St John's on Friday, September 2, which saw the premier performance of three sacred works by living Maltese composers.

Under the inspired direction of Joseph Sammut, the audience which packed St John's was regaled to an all-round exhilarating performance of music created by fellow Maltese. The ovation at the end of the concert can be taken as evidence that Maltese audiences want more of their own music.

Indeed, if I was writing the article 'Significant Concerts: a personal appraisal now', this concert would certainly have been included.