A Cappella Live, the second phase of the 15th edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music, is being held from today until Sunday, December 4.

This phase of the concert will feature five contrasting chamber concerts held on Sundays and Wednesdays in intimate sacred spaces in different localities in Gozo.

The series kicks off today at the Jesus of Nazareth church, Xagħra, when French guitarist Kevin Moindaze will give a solo recital of guitar classics, entitled Fantasie.

Moindaze, who is returning to the festival, will also be involved in an educational event.

The festival’s educational perspective will also be highlighted during a public lunchtime concert entitled Intermezzo on Wednesday, for which schoolchildren will also be invited. This will be given by the Clarinet Quartet of the Armed Forces of Malta at St Francis church, Victoria.

The concert Sacrae Cantiunculae is being given by Kor Malta on Sunday, November 27 at Għarb’s Visitation Basilica.

Exciting repertoires being presented

Kor Malta, under the direction of its conductor Riccardo Bianchi, will be performing in Gozo for the first time and will be presenting a varied sacred repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the contemporary.

The series then comes to an end with two concerts involving string instruments.

On November 30, upcoming Gozitan artists Pierre Louis Attard on the violin and Frank Camilleri on the violoncello team up in Diptych. The concert, being held at Qala’s Immaculate Conception Sanctuary, will present an exciting repertoire which also includes works by Joseph Vella as well as the premiere of a duo by Attard himself.

The final concert, on December 4, features the Gaulitanus String Orchestra led by Marcelline Agius and conducted by the festival’s artistic director Colin Attard.

A String Finale, being held at Għajnsielem’s St Anthony of Padua church, presents a repertoire for strings which will mark the end of the A Cappella Live series.

 Entrance to all the concerts is free and no reservations are required. The evening concerts start at 7.30pm with the lunchtime one starting at 12.30pm. Visit gaulitanus.com for more information. The EFFE-labelled festival, which is organised by the Gaulitanus Choir, is supported by the ICOG programme of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo, and also finds the collaboration of the various local councils where the concerts are being held.