As happens at the beginning of each academic year, students of St Aloysius' College Sixth Form are thrown into a flurry of preparation for the most prominent cultural event in the college calendar - the cultural soirée. Just a few weeks before the show, soirée fever rides high.
Last minute rehearsals cramp the cast's schedules, and everyone wonders whether it will be 'all right on the night'. Finally, as in previous editions, the hard work and dedication all pay off, as those present in the audience of the College theatre between February 5 and 8 can well bear witness to.
This year, the soirée kicked off with an Oriental dance. This immediately transported the audience to an exotic lotus-land, where everything was new and exciting. The strength of the first number, dubbed Ojos Asi, was to be found in its use of simple movement to create an atmosphere that was both inviting and outlandish. The number was placed in stark contrast to the following one, a techno remix of The Phantom of the Opera.
This item could very well be described as a celebration of contrasts. The melodic notes of the original musical blended in with the heavy dance beats of the remix.
On stage, contemporary hip-hop dancers mingled with poised ballerinas on pointe. The whole venture was quite a gamble, but the final product had even the strictest of Lloyd Webber fundamentalists nodding in approval.
In this edition of the soirée, young Aloysian thespians treated us to three different plays, the most memorable being Professor Joe Friggieri's Qabel il-Party. Although the basic premise was to entertain, the play was rather insightful in its treatment of the social pressures which characterise adolescence.
The English play was quite an ambitious project. Fanny's Young Man required perfect timing, and an accurate understanding of British wry wit and humour. Needless to say, the troupe of actors delivered the goods. In a formidable adaptation of Dario Fo's well-known Non Tutti I Ladri Vengono Per NuoGere, the audience witnessed the comic antics of a rather unfortunate robber and his overbearing wife.
Most, if not all, of the The Lion King cast grew up relentlessly watching videos of the animated version of this same evergreen Disney musical. The actors delivered their lines with gusto, and the songs were well-polished. Everyone's favourite was Hakuna Matata, which really captured the essence and colour of Disney in its heyday. A special mention also goes to the playful choreography of the jungle animals who seemed to be enjoying the performance as much as the audience itself!
The auditions for recitals this year were reputably quite rigorous, and the college is to be proud of the final choice made. The piano and instrumental recitals were accomplished throughout, although Joseph Vassallo stood out for his original composition Kaleidoscope. Similarly, the singing was impressive, especially Nicola Said's What If, which had the audience in thrall. Eighty -7 were the well-deserved winners of this year's Battle of the Bands, thus earning their place in the soirée line-up.
A pleasant surprise this year was the college choir's spectacular rendition of Masquerade, straight out of the musical of the moment, The Phantom of the Opera. Under the direction of Kris Spiteri, the choir projected confidence when it plunged into the more upbeat tunes of Grease. Finally, the exquisite strains of violins serenaded the audience, as the choir sang My Immortal.
As always, dance was probably the most exploited medium throughout the show.
Although all strove to be original, the general favourite was definitely Flashdance, which combined hip-hop with a Latin American pas de deux.
Although the soirée was an excellent occasion to showcase students' talent, it was also a fantastic opportunity for them to express their concern regarding social issues, more specifically that of the plight of the refugees so dear to the late Fr Charles Caruana's heart. Raquela Dalli Gonzi's heartfelt rendition of The Prayer followed a poignant presentation put together by the students themselves.
A good time was had by all the Aloysian Sixth Formers, who not only succeeded in producing a well-received soirée, but more importantly, new friendships were forged, and the whole experience will remain forever impressed in the memory of all those who, in some way, contributed to the soirée's resounding success.
This year's performances were in aid of the Tsunami victims and the sum collected amounted to Lm2,200. Another Lm750 was donated to the Mt St Joseph Retreat House project.
In another activity related to the cultural soirée, namely the Battle of the Bands, held in January, the sum of Lml,000 was collected and all the proceeds were in aid of Preca College of Korca, Albania. This college, which is directed by the members of MUSEUM, has been sponsored by our Sixth Form students for the past six years.