One of the Gaulitanus Choir’s plans for its 20th anniversary celebrations in 2010 was a foray abroad. After some initial plans had unfortunately fallen through at the last minute, a concert-tour in Firenze, Italy, started being worked upon, particularly by the choir’s founder-director Colin Attard. This eight concert tour abroad, the first fully organised by the choir without their being any pre-existing contacts with the place being toured, was eventually scheduled for December 2-7.
The choir’s artistic commitments were all sacred in nature, generally double bills, and scheduled in important venues in this hub of European culture. The first, on Saturday evening, was at the historic and very big San Lorenzo Basilica in the very heart of the city centre, co-ordinated by the Associazione Culturale ’Beato Angelico per il Rinascimento’ and its director, Padre Alfonso Fressola. A concert of Christmas music, part of a Christmas festival organized by the same organisation, was given, followed by the animation of holy mass celebrated by the Basilica’s curator, Mgr Livi. Mementos were presented to P. Fressola and Mgr Livi, who were both thrilled by the choir’s performance, as was the sizeable audience/congregation. The monsignor also invited the choir members for a tour of the basilica’s sacristy with its phenomenal renaissance masterpieces.
Sunday morning was devoted to events at St. Mark’s English Church, one of the best-known Florentine concert venues, courtesy of Robin Walker, the resident musical director. After a short recital, the choir animated the service celebrated by Rev. Lawrence MacLean, the chaplain of the church. During the service – which effectively was very much an ecumenical gathering – the St. Mark’s resident choir joined for some hymns accompanied by Walker himself. Again, Mro Attard presented mementos to both Mr Walker and Rev. MacLean, who were very pleased with the choir’s performance. Indeed, this was to kick-off a long-standing collaboration with Mr Walker. The event was nicely rounded up by the traditional British post-service coffee, tea and biscuits.
On Sunday evening the Gaulitanus then animated mass at the magnificent and enormous Basilica of Santa Croce, the principal Franciscan church in Florence and the resting place of so many great artists, courtesy of Padre Antonio di Marcantonio, the Basilica’s rector. Before the mass, the basilica’s resident organist, Mro F. Carnasciali, met Mro Attard and made sure that the basilica’s splendid organ was set up as per the Gaulitanus Choir’s needs.
The choir concluded its artistic commitments on Monday by moving oltrearno again to the parish of Santa Felicita, just across the Ponte Vecchio, where special celebrations were being held to mark the visit of the statue of the Madonna of Fatima and the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The choir first animated a very well-attended mass celebrated by parish priest Padre Francesco Maria, with whom the event was co-ordinated, and then gave a fully-fledged concert of Marian music. In Padre Francesco’s own words the choir’s performance “had surpassed everyone’s expectations” and requested that a Maltese Christmas song be performed as an encore. After mementos were exchanged, the choir acknowledged with C. Attard’s own Ninni, ninni. Again the enthusiastic and very participative audience acknowledged with long rounds of applause and a standing ovation which fittingly brought to an end the musical endeavours of the Gaulitanus Choir on Florentine soil.
During these diverse commitments the choir had to present quite a wide-ranging repertoire made up of international or Maltese Christmas numbers, sacred works and Marian works, with several being original works or arrangements of the choir’s director Colin Attard. The latter also conducted and accompanied the choir during this concert tour, with young violinist Pierre Louis Attard featuring very prominently. The various soloists were sopranos Rita Dimech, Annabelle Zammit, Patricia Buttigieg, Maria Meilak, Josianne Callus, Charlene Borg, mezzo-soprano Francesca Sciberras, tenor Joseph Buttigieg and bass John Mary Grima.
Despite the several musical commitments the choir and the supporters who accompanied the choir of course also found time to sightsee extensively. Apart from exploring the many gems that make up Firenze, and neighbouring Fiesole, a group visit to Pisa was scheduled right after landing in Pisa itself, whereas a whole day was reserved for a tour of Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, and Montepulciano.
All was very enjoyable indeed, and surely a grand way of enhancing the choir’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
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