Early in 2001, the Ministry for Gozo informed Gozitan cultural organisations of the possibility of local groups participating in some festivals being held in some European islands. In fact, as a result of talks held between the authorities of various European islands, including Gozo, the Festival of European Islands Cultures was being created. The first such event was being held in Lefkas (Lefkada) in the Ionian Islands, Greece, in June 21-22. The Gaulitanus Choir was interested in being involved and eventually the Ministry informed the choir that it would be representing Gozo during the festival in Greece.
The festival was assuming a particular tinge, with the folkloristic element very much in the fore. A medley of Maltese popular songs was thus prepared – eventually also featuring quite a number of choir soloists –, whilst pride of place was reseved to Carmelo Pace’s highly popular “L-Imnarja” – which the choir was premiering for the occasion. To enhance the folkloristic spirit to the utmost, choir member John Mary Grima accompanied the choir on the guitar with some other choir members joining with some percussion instruments. On its part the Ministry for Gozo provided each participant with a traditional Maltese costume, as well as flags of Malta and Gozo.
The choir’s big day was on the 21st June. Its artistic commitments commenced with ‘musical walks’ around Lefkas in the afternoon together with groups from Corfu, Cephalonia and Lefkas itself. Later on the choir took part in the parade featuring all the participating groups in the main streets of Lefkas, led by the Lefkas Philharmonic Band. Very late in the evening the Gaulitanus Choir gave a performance at the ”Angelos Sikelianos” open theatre in Lekfas, during the festival’s official opening ceremony and concert, which were attended and addressed by the Mayor of Lefkas, Mr Panagiotis Skliros, the Secretary General of the Region of Ionian islands, Mrs Anastasia Kanellopoulou, the Executive Secretary of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, Mr Jean-Didier Hache, and the Secretary General of the Greek National Tourist Organization Mr Evgenios Giannakopoulos. During this event, which featured the first line-up of participants with groups form Corfu, Cephalonia, and Rhodes, the Gaulitanus Choir also sang Joseph Vella’s Innu lil Ghawdex – which was being performed abroad for the first time. The choir was very warmly received. Whereas the festival’s second and closing night featured a second set of participating groups, the choir was presented with a diploma of participation at the end of the event.
Very interestingly, this concert tour was also the only one which did not feature the choir’s founder-director Colin Attard. Whereas, the maestro did all the preparatory work – organisational and artistic, including the rehearsing –, he was unavoidable absent during the festival itself due to personal commitments back in Gozo. In his absence, the choir was conducted by choir member, Colin Apap, and led by choir member, Fr Joseph Calleja. It has been the conviction within choir ranks ever since that this absence must have been the reason why this tour was so much of a success story!
Officially the contingent was led by Mr John Cremona, the Director Customer Services at the Ministry for Gozo, and also included Mr Joe Muscat from the Gozo Tourist Board. During this most enjoyable concert-tour, the group also had the opportunity to visit Corfu and the Greek capital, Athens, on its way back to Malta.
The success of this choir’s participation was attested by a letter sent to the Ministry for Gozo by the Secretary General of the Region of Ionian islands, Mrs Anastasia Kanellopoulou, soon after the festival’s end. “I feel obliged to write this letter to you in order to thank you very much for organising the participation of the Gaulitanus Choir of Gozo Malta, in the 1st European festival of Island Cultures held in Lefkas”, Kanellopoulou said. “The performance of the Choir was really impressive and surprisingly popular, proving that the Islanders around the Mediterrannean have much in common. Most of all, their songs are happy and optimistic, despite their many problems. The member of the Choir and the soloists impressed us all with their wonderful voices, but what I think was the most important, they became friends with the members of the other groups, singing altogether in the tavernas, the streets and the boat. … Please, forward my thanks and my congratulations to all the members of the Gaulitanus Choir.”
Whereas the Gaulitanus contingent was eventually invited for a post-tour courtesy meeting with the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, a return leg of the Festival of European Islands Cultures was held in Gozo between the 31st October and the 2ndNovember 2002.
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