The Chorus Urbanus participated in the second edition of the Unum Deum Festival earlier this month. The choir performed choral works by its director John Galea during the day dedicated to Gozo during the festival at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
The Chorus Urbanus sang various polyphonic motets by Lotti and Palestrina and a number of pieces by the director, which are performed exclusively by the choir. These works included Domine non sum dignus, a delicate number that was chosen as a test-piece for one of the past editions of the Malta International Choir Festival.
Other compositions by John Galea included O Salutaris Hostia, released recently on the CD Savinga Creations Label, the moving Crux Fidelis for soprano solo and SATB choir, which is sung during the Good Friday liturgy and Protege Domine, an invocation for soprano and bass solo.
The soloists were Yvonne Galea and Noel Galea, who gave excellent and moving renderings of their respective parts.
The programme also included a performance of John Galea's rich four-part harmonisations of Giuseppe Caruana's popular hymns Nadurawk and Tina l-hlewwa.