Gozo’s Gaulitanus Choir is currently marking its 35 years of music-making. A key celebratory event was a concert tour in Czechia between the 11th and the 16th September.
This concert tour – the choir’s 26th foray overseas – initially ensued from a Gaulitana: A Festival of Music artistic collaboration with the Czech ‘Halir Trio’ and its leader Eduardo Garcia Salas, who was fundamental for the concert tour’s organisation. However, this collaboration was eventually substantially broadened to include 3 Czech choral groups: Prague’s ‘En Arché Komorní Sbor’, Plzeň’s ‘Česká Píseň Plzeň’, and Jihlava’s ‘Pěvecké Sdružení Campanula Jihlava’. Indeed, each of these 3 choirs organized a concert for the Gozitan choir and also participated in it. Whereas each Czech choir opened the proceedings on its own before leaving the stage to the Gaulitanus, the cherry on the cake was the grand ending of each concert when the Czech choir joined the Gozitan choir for the ‘Innu lil Għawdex’ – which must have been a first for any foreign choir – and the Czech song ‘Potěšení’.
The first concert was held at Prague’s St Salvator Evangelical Church – so much renowned for its excellent acoustics – together with Prague’s ‘En Arché Komorní Sbor’ led by prominent Czech musician Vojtěch Jouza. A second concert was held at Plzeň’s Church of St John of Nepomuk – an important cultural landmark in the city – jointly with the ‘Česká Píseň Plzeň’, also conducted by Vojtěch Jouza. The third concert was in Jihlava’s Gothic Town Hall – the iconic landmark of the home city of the great composer and conductor Gustav Mahler – along the ‘Pěvecké Sdružení Campanula Jihlava’ conducted by Pavel Jirák. Towards the end of each concert mementos were very warmly exchanged.
The collaborative spirit was further enhanced when the Czech and Maltese choir members socialized during the post-concert dinners. This surely reached a most lively climax in Jihlava, which was also the Gaulitanus’ last night in Czechia, when both choirs even entertained each other with some fun singing.
These concerts apart, the Gaulitanus Choir also had the opportunity to perform in two of the most prestigious venues in Prague and indeed in the whole Czech Republic. Indeed, the choir’s first artistic event in Prague was at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Vitus, the grand Gothic church within Prague Castle and the country’s most important church, where the choir animated the holy mass and then gave a mini-concert. This was followed by a short tour of the Cathedral. The Gaulitanus also animated the Sunday morning mass at the stupendous Strahov Monastery’s Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, following which the choristers were offered a tour of the monastery’s unique library and museum.
Truly, artistic events apart, the Gaulitanus contingent also had time to indulge in some other very culturally enriching sightseeing tours. Prague, Plzeň and Jihlava apart, the group travelled to some top UNESCO world heritage sites. Cesky Krumlov is astounding and the Gaulitanus was offered a private tour of the castle with its unique baroque theatre – where the choir was also invited to sing an impromptu excerpt. Some similar singing took place in the very historic square in Telč and its impressive Dům u Michala Renaissance house. The choir also visited the picturesque Žďár nad Sázavou with its magnificent Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk on the hilltop, as well as the utterly charming and wonderful Kutna Hora.
In line with its ambassadorial role as a main choral exponent of local culture abroad, the Gaulitanus Choir’s repertoire consisted exclusively Maltese music, most of which in the vernacular. The works performed were by Carmelo Pace, Giuseppe Caruana, Joseph Vella, the choir’s director Colin Attard, chorister Pierre Louis Attard, and the choir’s late resident pianist Stephen Attard. Indeed, the choir marked the latter’s 1st anniversary from his passing by performing his last oeuvre, the “Quddiesa ‘Madonna Ta’ Pinu”.
During this concert tour, which was supported by VisitMalta, the choir was led by its founder-director Colin Attard.
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