The Dominican friars of Valletta is holding an organ concert by Christian Alejandro Almada today at St Dominic parish church, Valletta, at 7pm. Almada is maestro di cappella and organist at the papal basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

Almada will open the recital on the newly-restored 200-year-old organ with the popular hymn to St Dominic, Kalaroga, by Mro Giuseppe Caruana. He will be performing a number of works by classical composers such as Bach and Marcel Dupré, a leading composer of organ music at the beginning of the 20th century.

Almada’s concert was made possible through the initiative of the Maltese Ambassador to the Vatican, Frank Zammit, who recommended the Argentinian maestro to execute a concert at St Dominic’s basilica which was created a parish by a direct decree given by Pope Pius V on July 2, 1571.

The parish was dedicated to Our Lady of Safe Haven because of the great number of sailors who used to go to the small chapel, that the Dominicans had built prior to the construction of the church, in order to thank the Mother of God upon their safe return to harbour after long and dangerous sea voyages. It was also declared that the parish of St Dominic would be the principal parish church of the city.

Almada is planning to give five organ concerts in various churches around Malta in the summe of 2025.

Entrance to today’s Valletta concert is free.