Maltese soprano Ruth Sammut Casingena received a standing ovation during the Christmas Ball Banquet in Vienna organised by the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of Jerusalem of St John. Ms Sammut Casingena sang Mein Herr Marquis by Johan Strauss, Valzer Di Frou Frou by Carlo Lombardo and Meine Leppen, Sie Küssen So Heiss by Franz Lehar.
The ball took place at the Palais Pallavicini in the centre of Austria's capital city where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played at the beginning of his career. Dame Marie Angelique Caruana, who had proposed that the soprano sing during the ball, said that the singer, through her interpretation and professionalism, had enhanced Malta's reputation in this sphere.
Among those present were Prince Chev. Anton Esterhazy de Galantha, the Grand Prior of the Order in Hungary and Chev. Wil Goodheer, the Prior of the Order in Austria.
Austrian pianist Andreas Slateff accompanied Ms Sammut Casingena.