The day started with a buffet breakfast followed by a rehearsal at the Technical University, this time just with the Persephone Choir. The rehearsal, mainly of the ‘a cappella’ works which were to be performed jointly, was led by the Persephone’s musical director David Salazar.
After the rehearsal, the Gaulitanus Choir members were offered a city tour led by Persephone member and licensed tourist guide Sigi Massenbauer. The choir members then had some free time for lunch and further sightseeing, before being called for duty again late in the afternoon in time for the evening concert.
This was held at the most magnificent St Peter’s Church – the second most important church in Vienna centre (just a few metres away from St Stephen’s Cathedral) and a most important concert venue –, which was made available by the manager of the concerts at St Peter’s, Rev Dr Spalek. This gem of a church hosted the first of two Advent Concerts, co-ordinated by the Persephone Choir, featuring both the Gaulitanus and the Persephone choirs as well as the TU Orchestra.
After a warm up in the church’s wonderful and spacious crypt, the Persephone’s musical director, David Salazar, opened the concert with Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Concerto for Flautino’ featuring the TU Orchestra and soloist Doris Kitzmantel. The two choirs and solo bass Jakob Mahase joined the orchestra for some numbers from Johann S. Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ (‘Weihnachtsoratorium’). Both choirs then performed jointly 4 ‘a cappella’ numbers: the traditional German Advent song ‘Maria durch ein dornwald ging’, Colin Attard’s setting of the famous advent hymn ‘Veni, veni Emmanuel’, the Spanish carol ‘A la Nanita Nana’ and the very popular Tyrolese Christmas song ‘Andachtsjodler’.
The Gaulitanus’s musical director, Colin Attard, then took the stage. The first number performed was his own ‘A Christmas Fantasia’ featuring solo violinist (and Gaulitanus choir member) Pierre Louis Attard along with the TU Orchestra. The Gaulitanus Choir then presented a slot of ‘a cappella’ Maltese music on its own, performing Giuseppe Caruana’s religious hymns: ‘Fil-Hlewwa ta’ Mejju’ (soprano soloist: Patricia Buttigieg), ‘Innu ta’ Filghaxija’ and ‘Innu ta’ Filghodu’ as well as Carmelo Pace’s ‘Lapsi’. The latter made a very fine ending to a concert which was highly acclaimed by the big audience which filled St Peter’s to capacity. (This also included some Maltese citizens, amongst whom the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Gozo, Mr John Borg and Mrs Borg.) Though the audience longed for more, no encores could be given as another concert was scheduled soon after that same evening.
After the concert, both choirs and a few representatives of the TU Orchestra went off for a celebratory dinner organised by the Persephone Choir at the typical Viennese restaurant, Gigerl Stadtheuriger, in the very centre of the city. After that it was time to return to the hotel.
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