Passiontide concert
The anguish of the Son of God feeling abandoned by God the Father must rank as the most riveting heart-wrenching cry of all. It haunts composers in each and every devotional work as they strive to convey the torment of the beaten Son of Man conflicting...
The anguish of the Son of God feeling abandoned by God the Father must rank as the most riveting heart-wrenching cry of all. It haunts composers in each and every devotional work as they strive to convey the torment of the beaten Son of Man conflicting with the triumphant Son of God.
The Easter theme therefore necessitates a deeply reflective mood. In keeping with their tradition to perform prized sacred arias for the two most significant celebrations in the Christian calendar, the Amadeus Chamber Choir has once again carefully selected "musical gems" that bring together much sought-after works such as Albioni's Adagio in G Minor and lesser known ones like Jean-Baptiste Faure's Crucifixus and Holy One, dying for mortals from August Klughardt's The Burial of Christ.
"Amadeus being Amadeus cannot resist including excerpts from Mozart's Requiem and Grand Mass in C Minor, their very own signature tunes which never fail to move no matter how often they are performed. Each time we challenge ourselves to express the Requiem's spiritual resonance," Michelle Cachia Castelletti affirms. "Although the finished work is not completely his, it reverberates with Mozart's words: "It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion."
Founder and leading tenor Brian Cefai together with his assistant, Ms Cachia Castelletti, organist and soprano in her own right, admit that getting the programme together is no easy task. First of all, they need to strike a balance between their own goals and public expectations. Then there is painstaking rehearsal process. "Brian and I arrange the music ourselves - which is a lengthy procedure since you have to bring out musical parts for each instrument. We also give our individual sections the attention they need, such as creating midi files for them to study upon, and doing individual rehearsals... we also spend time with the soloists until we are satisfied with the result. Then there are the full fledged rehearsals and putting everything together plus looking for sponsors and advertising."
The dedication and commitment certainly pay off since the choir is increasingly making a name for itself in a number of European capitals, particularly Prague and Palermo. The choir is also very much in demand for private functions both locally and overseas. It is also great to see sopranos Nikki Farrugia, Stephanie Degiorgio Wismayer, Michelle Cachia Castelletti, Joeanne Hili, Baritone Louis Cassar, Bass Albert Buttigieg gain in timbre as well as stage presence. Together with Brian Cefai, each will be performing solo pieces punctuated by a small ensemble from within the larger chorus. This time round, Ms Cachia Castelletti and Maureen Galea will be playing the organ while the other select musicians are under the guidance of Hans-Jürgen Nagel. What is perhaps the most admirable trait of this choir is that over and above their enthusiasm they create and impart a particularly intimate texture whether they are singing a cappella or accompanied on the organ and/or a chamber orchestra. It is the sort of intimacy that pitches poignancy and tenderness, fear and hope.
Goaded on by the deep satisfaction of sharing beautiful music, Eloi Eloi Lama Sabaqtani? promises to ring out with the kind of introspection that helps soothe many a weary spirit.
• Eloi Eloi Lama Sabaqtani?, a concert of sacred music, is being held at the Cospicua parish church on Tuesday at 7.30 p.m.
The Easter theme therefore necessitates a deeply reflective mood. In keeping with their tradition to perform prized sacred arias for the two most significant celebrations in the Christian calendar, the Amadeus Chamber Choir has once again carefully selected "musical gems" that bring together much sought-after works such as Albioni's Adagio in G Minor and lesser known ones like Jean-Baptiste Faure's Crucifixus and Holy One, dying for mortals from August Klughardt's The Burial of Christ.
"Amadeus being Amadeus cannot resist including excerpts from Mozart's Requiem and Grand Mass in C Minor, their very own signature tunes which never fail to move no matter how often they are performed. Each time we challenge ourselves to express the Requiem's spiritual resonance," Michelle Cachia Castelletti affirms. "Although the finished work is not completely his, it reverberates with Mozart's words: "It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion."
Founder and leading tenor Brian Cefai together with his assistant, Ms Cachia Castelletti, organist and soprano in her own right, admit that getting the programme together is no easy task. First of all, they need to strike a balance between their own goals and public expectations. Then there is painstaking rehearsal process. "Brian and I arrange the music ourselves - which is a lengthy procedure since you have to bring out musical parts for each instrument. We also give our individual sections the attention they need, such as creating midi files for them to study upon, and doing individual rehearsals... we also spend time with the soloists until we are satisfied with the result. Then there are the full fledged rehearsals and putting everything together plus looking for sponsors and advertising."
The dedication and commitment certainly pay off since the choir is increasingly making a name for itself in a number of European capitals, particularly Prague and Palermo. The choir is also very much in demand for private functions both locally and overseas. It is also great to see sopranos Nikki Farrugia, Stephanie Degiorgio Wismayer, Michelle Cachia Castelletti, Joeanne Hili, Baritone Louis Cassar, Bass Albert Buttigieg gain in timbre as well as stage presence. Together with Brian Cefai, each will be performing solo pieces punctuated by a small ensemble from within the larger chorus. This time round, Ms Cachia Castelletti and Maureen Galea will be playing the organ while the other select musicians are under the guidance of Hans-Jürgen Nagel. What is perhaps the most admirable trait of this choir is that over and above their enthusiasm they create and impart a particularly intimate texture whether they are singing a cappella or accompanied on the organ and/or a chamber orchestra. It is the sort of intimacy that pitches poignancy and tenderness, fear and hope.
Goaded on by the deep satisfaction of sharing beautiful music, Eloi Eloi Lama Sabaqtani? promises to ring out with the kind of introspection that helps soothe many a weary spirit.
• Eloi Eloi Lama Sabaqtani?, a concert of sacred music, is being held at the Cospicua parish church on Tuesday at 7.30 p.m.