Albert G Storace reviews the opening events at Gaulitana: A Festival of Music 2026
28 March – A Sacred Opening
This opening concert was to a full church church where the Gaulitanus Choir set the ball rolling with three brief lovely works. The first was the superbly serene and popular The Lord bless you and keep you by John Rutter ,(b.1945). Soprano Annabelle Zammit sang a solo part in The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23) by Howard Goodall (b. 1958).The last of this trio of works was Laudate Dominum by Gordon Young (1919-98).
Ad Libitum Choir from southwest Poland then took over and performed the evening’s major work. This was the Requiem in D minor, Op. 48, composed not long after Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) had lost both parents in the space of about three years. It is a different kind of Requiem, very little fire and brimstone but rather devoid of bombast and too much punitive rigour. Serenity prevails, tenderness abounds and the music is mainly very contemplative and soothing.
The choir sounded well-balanced and was always on cue. Soprano solo Joanba Spandel ,sang a splendid Pie Jesu. On the other hand I cannot understand (or do I ?) why two baritone solos were entrusted to Dariusz Panek. This was one of the things which were very irritating the other being how a good number of the public applauded after each and every movement of the Requiem. Perhaps the lady conductor could have turned and asked for this to stop after the first movement was applauded.
Colin Attard had to gently remind those willing to listen to desist from such behaviour during future events
The concert ended with two very interesting world premieres of two works by the father Colin Attard (b.1962) and his son violinist and composer Pierre-Louis (b.1994). The Polish Choir joined in these two works. Ad Libitum are in fact on a reciprocal tour following Gaulitanus Choir’s visit to Poland not a very long time ago.
So first it was Attard Senior whose yes, a beautiful Ave Maria joins many others all over the world. It is one of three sacred pieces Sursum corda, and it is the only one of them so far premiered, this very evening. Devotional and laudatory of course ending with a magnificent flourish.
Attard Junior set IL Cantico della Creazione which was written by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). Pierre-Louis used a Maltese translation, Kantiku tal-Holqien and called the work “Franciscus 800”, this year being the eighth centenary of that most beloved and charismatic saint. The combined chorus sang with zest and gusto IN MALTESE. Good for them and response was such that the whole work was encored.
30 March En-Chór
published on Newsbook.mt
The 19th edition of this festival opened with a concert at Għarb’s Parish church and basilica.
It was to be the first of three festival events which featured the participation of the mixed voice Silesian Chamber Choir Ad Libitum from south-west Poland. The choir,conducted by Izabella Zielecka-Panek, performed separately as well as together.
For the Festival’s second event, Ad Libitum performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass at the Parish Church of St. Margaret, ta’ Sannat. The visit to Gozo was one of exchange between Gaulitanus Choir conducted by Colin Attard, who, not so long ago, visited Poland and performed there in collaboration with Ad Libitum.
Under review here is the third event during which the Polish choir performed a number of Polish songs ranging from the 16th to the 21st centuries, singing a cappella. The chosen venue was the chapel of the oratory of St. John Bosco.
Ad Libitum’s organist Mariusz Wycisk presented the chosen works one by one, in English. Unfortunately, he held the microphone too close to his mouth and very often what he said was not clear enough. It was a bit of a strain trying to make things out.
The concert began with the oldest work, Benedicimus Deum Coeli by Mikołaj Zielenski. Dates supplied in the programme read 1550-1615, whereas another source gives a different time span of 1560-1620. Many scholars say that nobody exactly knows when he was born and died, just that he flourished roughly a little before and after 1611. The singing was balanced and disciplined.
The second composer Jan Sztwiertna (1911-40) died in a Nazi concentration camp. It happened in Gusen, a sub-camp of Mauthausen in Austria. This composer was known for his interest in folk music but the piece sung by the choir was a sacred one Psalm 23, Pan Jes Pasterzem Moim (The Lord is my Shepherd).
Ad Libitum Chamber Choir was very fond of Karol Pyka (b. 1984), a Silesian composer, because no less than three of his works were performed. The first of them was Hymn O Krzyżu, a devotional work referring to the Holy Cross. His second work (7th in the list) was far more different. Tánzące Snopki was lively, fresh, richly rhythmic and full of movement. At its core, its meaning was hinted at because it is about “dancing sheaves”. Pyka’s third piece and 10th in order of performance was Bajkowa Miezanka (Fairytale Mix), lithe and crisp.
Very impressive and quite thrilling to me was a Pater Noster, sung in Latin and composed by Józef Śnider (1930-2014), who composed it c.1985-6. Many friends expressed the same feeling about the unusual structure of the work. It was partly sung and partly declamatory. Phrases were sung with a gradual crescendo, building up to a climactic resolution. Meanwhile, the hushed whispering in the spoken phrases was cleverly integrated into the texture.
From what I could understand, Szuma Dolina by Jan Gawlas (1901-65), 5th work on the programme, referred to a valley. Next came Clemna Nocka by Romuald Twardowski (1930-2024) was another colourful piece.
In a certain way, even more so was the next piece, Nostalgiznie (Polskje Drogi) by Dariusz Panek (b.1984), who is a member of the choir. It is nostalgic for Polish ways, maybe different traditions. Some members whistled softly, others produced certain sounds, like humming, the composer singing in the ranks played some notes on a small wind instrument and so on. There was a very beautiful solo by soprano Joanna Spandel. The work was very well-rehearsed and synchronised.
The penultimate work was by Krzesimir Dębski (b.1953) title Mama Afryka. He composed it in 2011 as part of a campaign to raise funds for drought-hit Somalia. It is based on Somali traditional rhythms.
As already mentioned above this greatly appreciated concert ended with Karol Pyka’s Bajkowa Miezanka (Fairytale Mix).
31 March – Trío de España
The festival’s events are spread widely across Gozo. This string trio concert was held at the quite spacious privately owned, built and run by a local family in the sprawling locality of in-Nadur. It has good acoustics and the event attracted a sizeable audience.
The all-female classical string trio formation of two violinists and one viola have one thing in common. Despite the ensemble’s name, there is nothing Spanish about them. Maria Conrad born of a Maltese mother and German father has settled in Spain with her Spanish husband and their two children. The other ladies in the Trio are Russian and also live and work in Spain. I missed a chance to find out how long they have performed as a string trio but judging by their performance, they are a well-knit, balanced and mutually supportive ensemble.
Colin Attard, Festival Artistic Director introduced the concert which began with the String Trio in C Major composed c.1775 by the very long-lived Juan Oliver y Astorga (1733-1830). The work is in the so-called Mannheim style. It began with Allegro moderato which led the central, easily flowing Andante which was followed by a lovely Allegretto.
The warmth melodious beauty a composer’s trade mark was unmistakable in Drobnusti (Miniatures) Op.75b by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904). Cavatina, Capriccio and Romance were composed in 1887. They were lovingly projected with elegant charm and heart-warming.
Despite its high opus number, the String Trio in C Major, Op.87 by Beethoven (1770-1827) was composed in 1797-98 when he had been in Vienna less than decade. He composed this work for three Austrian aristocratic brothers. It was this concert’s longest work, in seven movements. The style is also unmistakeable as it has a lot if drive and energy which recurs at strategic intervals as it was in the opening Allegro, the central Allegro and concluding Presto. The tender Adagio, the elegant Minuet and playful Scherzo and trio evoked differently contrasting moods and effects.
The next work was the String Trio in D Major by Sergey Taneyev (1856-1915) Russian pianist, composer and leading transcriber for piano of several works by J.S.Bach. Composed in 1907 this work has a certain deeply Russian feel to it merging with the Romantic world. Allegro Grave e semplice opened the work with a certain sobriety offsetting the charming Minuet’s Allegro ma non troppo. The Andante, skilfully beautiful made a clearly assertive and crisply energetic Vivace.
It was to be expected that some well-known Spanish pieces would be performed. These materialised with three works by Manuel de Falla (1876-1946). The first two were from his seven piece song cycle Siete Canciones Populares Españolas composed in 1914. The Trio performed n.5, Nana (lullaby) and n.1 El paño moruno (a Moorish type of cloth). The former very evocative and the latter rather exotic. From de Falla’s opera La Vida Breve
(1904-5) the Danza Española was performed with élan.
Yet another lovely page in the Festival annals
04 April – Tones of Reflection
I think that this was a gem of an event. The venue was unusual. It was the round Banca Giuratale, the origins of which go back to 1733 sanctioned by Grand Master de Vilhena. The ground floor is often an art exhibition. The top floor is where the Victoria Local Council operates. The space is intimate and ideal for this kind of performance.
This too was the first time there were two violoncellos performing as a duo. One was Ákos Kertész who is Hungarian and first cellist with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, while the other cellist was Daniel Xuereb, younger and a very accomplished performer as one could see and feel.
The third pillar of this performance was Joanna Pullicino, the reciter of very beautiful texts written by the event’s fourth pillar, Mgr. Joe Vella Gauci. Joanna Pullicino’s reciting of the text was impeccable, warm enough yet devoid of histrionics when considering the nature of the texts. The reflectionary element as presented by a close look at the fourteen stations of the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) were superbly woven with the music.
As a beginning the reciter dealt with various points relevant to the first six stations. Next came the performance of the Sonata in E minor, Op.14 n.5,RV40 dated betweenn1720 and 1730 by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
The 4-movement pattern here was slow/fast/slow/fast, with plenty of interaction between a dining excellent mutual rapport. The music could clearly reflect the shifting moods according to the situations as referred too in the reciting of the texts
The reminder of the texts followed. Stations were grouped thus: 7, 8 and 9; 10,11 and 12, and finally n.13 and 14. The cello duo continued with the Sonata in D minor OP.5 n.2 by Francesco Giminiani (1687-1762). It was first published in 1746. Like the Vivaldi in A minor if different key and following the same tempo pattern. It was equally relevant to the texts. The music when slow mainly reflected suffering and pain, the faster rather more the virtues of hope, salvation, forgiveness and selflessness
As I sat in that intimate space I thought how apt it was to notice that a high window with shutters open had bright sunlight shining through into the room. The wooden slats separating the glass panes formed a very neat cross.
Well done all protagonists!
06 April – A Vocal Showcase
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