News


February - April 2007

www.vittoriosahistorica.org

Annual Band Programme at Caraffa Stores
Open Day at Vittoriosa War Museum
Good Friday activities
Choir Festival
Special Gathering at St Lawrence Church
Official Inauguration of Vittoriosa Waterfront Project
Miriam Gauci in Concert
Restored Organ Gallery at St Lawrence
Weekly Litugical Bulletin

Annual Band Programme at Caraffa Stores

The Vittoriosa St Lawrence Band Society held its Annual Band Programme on 14 April  2007 at Caraffa Stores at Vittoriosa Marina, the first time at this venue.  The band, in full strength and with a formidable display, was under the baton of Mro Paul Schembri. The event was aimiably compered by Gorg Peresso.  The programme included a mixture of classical and modern pieces.  Among the musical scores played with excellent mastery was Borodin’s ballet from the opera Prince Igor, and Hans Zimmer’s theme music for the 2000 Academy Award winning film Gladiator.  The band also played a rhapsody of nostalgic Neapolitan songs.  Commenting on this, the compere wondered if Grand Master Caraffa, who had built Caraffa Stores in the 17th century, would have been thrilled listening to it as he was Neapolitan by birth.  The band also playe a newly-composed march for the occasion of Lawrence V. Farrugia’s 20th anniversary as President of the Vittoriosa Band Club.


Open Day at Vittoriosa War Museum

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna held an open day at the Malta at War Museum on 15 April 2007 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the award of the George Cross by King George VI to Malta in 1942.  The Malta at War Museum is located at Couvre Porte, Vittoriosa, close to the Local Council office.  The museum, which is run by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, comprises a unique collection of period objects depicting the daily life of the Maltese and the Islands’ defenders during World War II.  It also includes the viewing of the wartime documentary Malta GC with licence from the Imperial War Museum of London.  The film was produced in 1942 on the specific instigation of King George VI who wanted documented on the heroism and bravery of the Maltese.  The museum is housed in the underground air raid shelters in the Birgu Ditch, known as il-Foss.   Special events were organised for the open day including guided tours, re-enactments, and hands-on sessions for children on original artefacts from the time such as gas masks, ration cards, uniforms.

Good Friday activities

The Vittoriosa Local Council again organised the Holy Week presentation entitles Iesus Nazarenus with life-sized statues at Coronation Garden, close to the Local Council office. The quite of the night and the dark shadow of the trees created a truely appropriate atmosphere.  Another long-standing exhibition is Gethsemani put up by the Vittoriosa St Lawrence Band.  As in the previous year an open air orchestral concert by the Euro Academy Orchestra under the direction of Mro Emmanuel Pirotta was held at St Lawrence Parvis for the inauguration.  Other exhibitions were held, notably that at the Domenican Priory.  Youths from Vittoriosa again this year staged the musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the Parish Hall.  Vittoriosa’s old Holy Week traditions were prominently featured in an excellent article, spiced by beautiful photoes, written by Lino Bugeja in the Sunday Times.


Choir Festival

The Joy Gospel Singers teamed up with an Irish choir, the Lucan Gospel Singers, for a joint festival at St Lawrence Collegiate Curch on 22 February 2007.  They presented a wide selection of spiritual songs to a packed audience, in the presence of the Irish Ambassador and a representative from the Grand Harbour Marina, which sponsored the event.  The Joy Gospel Singers was founded and is led by Carmel and Michelle Abela.  This 40-strong choir had already presented a special Christmas carol evening at St Lawrence Church last year.  The Lucan Gospel Singers is an established Dublin-based choir which participates in various public and private functions in Ireland.  This was their first visit to Malta.

Special Gathering at St Lawrence Church

The Rev. Chapter of St Lawrence organised a special event for citizens from Vittoriosa and their families who do not reside in Vittoriosa.  The aim of the activity was to strengthen the bond that binds the people of Vittoriosa, wherever they are, with their native city.  The activity stared with the celebration of Mass at St Lawrence followed by a social treat at the Holy Crucifix Oratory.

Official Inauguration of Vittoriosa Waterfront Project

Sunday, 4 March 2007 was another breakthrough day for Vittoriosa: the Prime Minister inaugurated the embellishment works at the Vittoriosa Waterfront during a mini Notte Bianca.  Although the project of the yacht marina was ready last year, the landscaping has only now been completed.  This comprised the paving of the wharf running from Victualling Yard Gate to the Menqa at the foot of Fort St. Angelo, the illuminatin, and the installation of trees and shrubs. Various catering outlets have opened in Old Treasury Palace.  The inauguration of the waterfront came soon after the successful offer to the public through the Malta Stock Exchange of 30% of the shares worth some Lm 2 million of the company that operates the yacht berths at Birgu, the Grand Harour Marina plc.   This company has entrusted the management of the marina to the world renowed yachting organisation, Camper & Nicholson.

Miriam Gauci in Concert

The internationally-celebrated Vittoriosa-born soprano Miriam Gauci made a memorable and remarkable comeback to the Malta music scene in an exclusive and emotional operatic concert on 3 March 2007 held in the Grand Master’s Suite at Hilton Malta.  The highly evokative performance of the prima donna, with a fascinating repertoire raging from Bellini and Ponchielli to Verdi and Puccini, was backed up by the National Orchestra, conducted by Miriam Gauci’s husband, Mro Michael Laus.  The concert was organised jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and AON Insurance Brokers in association with St Lawrence Collegiate Chapter.

Restored Organ Gallery at St Lawrence

Two young volunteers, Andre Bugeja and Lawrence Avellino, have completed a delicate task at St Lawrence Church as preparations are under way for the 1,750th anniversary of St Lawrence’s Martyrdom next year.  They have cleaned and restored the organ galley;  its paintwork looks now fresh and the gilding has been given a polished shine.  The gallery, built by Vincnzo Siracusa, dates back to 1880.  The original 1728 organ was replaced in 1952 by a state-of-the-art organ from the Italian firm Tamborlini and funded by the Bosco family of Vittoriosa.

Weekly Litugical Bulletin

The weekly liturgical bulletin distributed during Sunday Mass to Maltese churchgoers by the Maltese Curia occasionally publishes short informationon different churches in Malta. The edition of the first Sunday after Easter carried a short article on the Church of S Lawrence,  underlining its ancient origin dating back 900 years.