Hymn-cantatas

Again, Mr George Borg's letter (The Sunday Times, November 26), failed to produce authentic documents to confirm Mgr Farrugia's hymn-cantatas, composed in 1894 and 1901, were performed by the La Stella Band of Gozo in 1894 and 1901 respectively. He missed the point once more.

It has been written by some that Mgr Farrugia's hymn of 1894 was composed in the same year, but no documents were produced to confirm that this hymn was composed to welcome the arrival of the statue of St George in Victoria and its performance in 1894 by the La Stella Band!

A report about the welcoming of the statue of St George to Victoria that was published in Id-Devot ta' Marija, 1894, states: "Fit-18 ta' Novembru, 1894, mill-knisja tal-Hniena, ix-Xewkija, gabu sal-Belt Victoria statwa ta' San Gorg li ghandha titqieghed fil-Pjazza fil-festa tieghu. Hija mahduma mis-Sur Vincenzo Cremona, imfahhra minna drabi ohra. Irnexxiet tajjeb, u giet imfahra mill-'fogli'." No reference was made to the performance of Mgr Farrugia's hymn, 'Su Garzoni all'Invitto Campione' by the La Stella Band.

On the other hand, Mro Vincenzo Carabott's A Maria Assunta, was already in use in 1899 because it is documented in the musical programmes held by the Leone Band during the feast of Santa Marija, Gozo, in 1899. Mgr Farrugia's 1901 hymn in honour of St George, Spento è il drago, was composed years after that of Mro Carabott.

Mr Borg quoted from an article published in Lehen il-Belt Victoria, official organ of the La Stella Band, that: "... li maz-zmien surmastrijiet ohra li kienu ser jiktbu xi innijiet, dejjem inghataw struzzjonijiet biex jimxu fuq it-tul ta' l-innu tieghi" (Giardini Vella). Is he implying that maestri Anton Pace, Willie Attard, IndrG Borg, Vincenzo Ciappara and other hymn composers were influenced or followed Mro Giardini Vella's instructions? Far from it!

Above all, whose instructions Mro Giardini Vella followed when composing St Margaret and St George's hymns? It wasn't Mgr Farrugia's, because he died in 1925, and Mro Giardini Vella was engaged as musical director of La Stella Band in 1926. Maybe he followed Mro Orlando Crescimanno's hymn!

It is historically clear that Mro Carabott's hymn is not only the first hymn composed by a musical director of a Gozitan philharmonic society, but it looks also that it is the first patron saint hymn, composed by a musical director of a Gozitan band or other musicians, which was performed in Gozo during a titular feast. Presently, Mro Crescimanno's hymn A Maria Assunta, performed in 1913, is the oldest hymn-cantata performed during a titular feast in Gozo.

Finally, Mr Borg hinted that I am the spiritual director of the Leone Band but he forgot to say that he was a member of the committee of the La Stella Band for years.