Restored pipe organ at St Dominic’s to be inaugurated on Friday
Several sacred musical excerpts will be played
The restored pipe organ at the basilica of Our Lady of Porto Salvo and St Dominic in Valletta will be officially inaugurated today at 7pm. A massive instrument with nearly 2,000 pipes, the organ has undergone an extensive, painstaking restoration to return it to its former glory.
The project involved dismantling the organ and sending components abroad for repairs due to significant, long-term deterioration.
The inauguration ceremony starts with an introduction by parish priest Michael Camilleri OP, followed by a historic presentation on the origin of the organ by Fr Prior Paul Gatt OP. Several sacred musical excerpts will be played on the organ by Mark Sciberras of Siġġiewi. The evening will be concluded with a power point presentation by renowned Maltese organ builder and designer Noel Gallo, who has been commissioned to restore the organ, and Michael Farley Organ Builders, based in the UK, who was involved in the restoration project.
The restoration project of the organ is a project on which the Dominican community and the Porto Salvo and St Dominic’s Foundation have been working on for several years. It involved extensive works which practically led to the dismantling of all the organ to be sent abroad and the reassemble of the pipework, piece by piece.