Following two successful virtual series, the 14th edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music is being brought to an end with a series of live public events in Gozo.
In full compliance with the health and safety regulations issued by the health authorities, GauLive is being scheduled between September 10 and October 9, and intends to give some much-needed breath to live yet safe performing.
This series opens on Friday, September 10, with a concert at the Ministry for Gozo’s Courtyard. Entitled Nostalġija, this concert will feature the Gaulitanus Choir, its soprano soloists Anna Bonello, Patricia Buttigieg, Stephanie Portelli and Annabelle Zammit, violinist Pierre Louis Attard and pianist Milica Lawrence in a number of Maltese compositions ingrained in local traditions.
Among others, these include Joseph Vella’s Rapsodija Maltija, Stephen Attard’s Żewġ Għanjiet minn Għawdex, Charles Camilleri’s Ħames Kanti Popolari and Carmelo Pace’s very well-known L-Imnarja.
The second concert is a world-class event. Internationally-renowned musician Wayne Marshall will be giving a much-expected organ recital in Gozo for the first time. This will be held at the Xewkija Rotunda on Saturday, September 18.
A week later, on September 24, the Armed Forces of Malta Band will return with a public concert in Gozo after a long absence. Under the direction of Capt. Jonathan Borg, they will present a very varied open-air concert again at the Ministry for Gozo’s courtyard.
The Gaulitanus Choir itself is back on Saturday, October 2, with a wholly choral concert of sacred music, Songs of Praise. The choir will be interpreting numbers in the English language specifically arranged for the choir (mostly by its founder-director Colin Attard) over the years and, so far, interpreted only by the said choir.
The last week of the festival then features two concerts, both linked with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
An MPO’s chamber ensemble will give a very intimate concert on Tuesday, October 5, whereas the whole orchestra will be in attendance for the symphonic finale on Saturday, October 9. The latter, being held at the Aurora Opera Theatre, will be the MPO’s first full-scale appearance in Gozo since 2019. Conducted by Attard, Gaulitana’s artistic director, the main item will be Beethoven’s majestic Symphony No. 3, the ‘Eroica’.
All concerts start at 8pm. More information is available on the festival’s Facebook page and on www.gaulitanus.com. The limited seating is strictly by reservation on bookings.gaulitana@gmail.com. The festival is principally supported by the Gozo Cultural Support Programme of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo.