Il-Ħaġar Museum is organising a number of cultural events to mark the eighth anniversary of the museum’s opening and the third anniversary of the demise of Mro Joseph Vella.
Tomorrow, the exhibition Joseph Vella and Oliver Friggieri: A Meeting of Minds is opening at the museum at 6.30pm.
On Saturday, the museum is hosting the third Joseph Vella Memorial Lecture in which international Augustinian expert Rev. Prof. Salvino Caruana will be delving into an aspect of one of Augustine of Hippo’s works. Titled The Effects of Music of Augustine in De Musica 6, the lecture will be held at 10.30am and will be also streamed online.
Another exhibition, titled Twilights: An Exhibition of Sacred Art, by Aaron Formosa, is then opening at the museum at 11.30pm. It will run until April 6.
At 8.30pm, the Laudate Pueri Choir is presenting a programme of Mro Vella’s sacred motets, which were composed specifically for the female section of the choir. This choral recital at St George’s basilica highlights the special ties which Mro Vella had with the choir which led him to compose some of his most endearing sacred works, particularly for SSAA/SSA settings.
The works, among which is the Missa Brevis op. 40, were recorded in 1997 under the direction of the composer himself and feature on the CD Vella...a cappella. This was the first CD in Malta featuring an all-female choir singing a cappella.
On Sunday, the choir will participate in the basilica’s 11am Mass in suffrage of Il-Ħaġar’s benefactors, including Mro. Vella.
The whole programme is supported by the Cultural Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo.
In Malta, a free chamber music concert in commemoration for Mro Vella is being held on Saturday, February 27 in Rabat. This concert – Classical Evenings – is being organized by the Medina Foundation for Music with the collaboration of the Rabat local council and Socjeta San Pawl Banda Konti Ruggieru.
Entrance to the Gozo events is free but, because of COVID-related restrictions, registration is recommended on events@heartofgozo.org.mt. For more information, visit https://heartofgozo.org.mt.