As part of the worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Day, the Malta Hospice Movement last week presented The New Choral Singers in a very well-attended concert. Directed by Robert Calleja the concert consisted of short choral pieces, a few of which featured solo voices, with for good measure, a charming little Mass by Haydn. Also taking part was the St James Consort (leader Sarah Spiteri), which in a very short time has established itself as a leading local instrumental ensemble.
Another important element was organist John Aquilina. He accompanied the singers in many of the numbers they sang, joined the orchestra in most of the Haydn Mass and had the instrumental first and last word. This is because he performed the processional at the beginning, Mozart's Prelude and Fugue in C, K. 399 and as a recessional he performed the allegro molto from Mendelssohn's Sonata in D minor, Op.65, No.6. Half way through he performed Buxtehude's Prelude, fugue and Chaconne in C, BuxWV 137, by far the best performed of them.
Some of the works were orchestrated by Mr Calleja, such as Franck's Psalm 150, Rutter's The Lord Bless You and Keep You and Elgar's very beautiful Ave Verum. He also orchestrated Goodall's The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23), which featured the very beautiful voice of soloist soprano Rosabelle Bianchi. Another soloist was bass Albert Buttigieg whose fine voice did justice to Lord God of Abraham from Mendelssohn's Elijah.
One finds out soon enough that this choral formation adapts itself quite smoothly to change of style and idiom. They sounded equally at home in Gibbons's Almighty and Everlasting Lord and in Viadana's unaccompanied Exsultate justi and in contemporary works like the Goodall mentioned above and Nobes's You Are The Peace Of All Things Calm. All forces took part in great style, hardly removed from the Haydn I am used to hearing in Vienna. It is a pity that this is a brief Mass, despite Haydn's younger brother Michael having extended the Gloria. Ms Bianchi gave a superb rendering of the soprano solo Benedictus, which one wished would never come to an end.
In line with activities in aid of hospices held all over the world, the concert ended with the chorus from Handel's Messiah, the rousing Hallelujah. This flowed without being too precipitate, and was crisply flexible, well-handled Handel.
Another important element was organist John Aquilina. He accompanied the singers in many of the numbers they sang, joined the orchestra in most of the Haydn Mass and had the instrumental first and last word. This is because he performed the processional at the beginning, Mozart's Prelude and Fugue in C, K. 399 and as a recessional he performed the allegro molto from Mendelssohn's Sonata in D minor, Op.65, No.6. Half way through he performed Buxtehude's Prelude, fugue and Chaconne in C, BuxWV 137, by far the best performed of them.
Some of the works were orchestrated by Mr Calleja, such as Franck's Psalm 150, Rutter's The Lord Bless You and Keep You and Elgar's very beautiful Ave Verum. He also orchestrated Goodall's The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23), which featured the very beautiful voice of soloist soprano Rosabelle Bianchi. Another soloist was bass Albert Buttigieg whose fine voice did justice to Lord God of Abraham from Mendelssohn's Elijah.
One finds out soon enough that this choral formation adapts itself quite smoothly to change of style and idiom. They sounded equally at home in Gibbons's Almighty and Everlasting Lord and in Viadana's unaccompanied Exsultate justi and in contemporary works like the Goodall mentioned above and Nobes's You Are The Peace Of All Things Calm. All forces took part in great style, hardly removed from the Haydn I am used to hearing in Vienna. It is a pity that this is a brief Mass, despite Haydn's younger brother Michael having extended the Gloria. Ms Bianchi gave a superb rendering of the soprano solo Benedictus, which one wished would never come to an end.
In line with activities in aid of hospices held all over the world, the concert ended with the chorus from Handel's Messiah, the rousing Hallelujah. This flowed without being too precipitate, and was crisply flexible, well-handled Handel.