Signals - Banking on the bridge over troubled waters
Being hoisted to the boardroom of the APS Bank in Floriana is a pleasant sensation. Their lift combines practicality with aesthetics, not an easy amalgamation in a town-house of character. It was a good omen. I find that good taste is a harbinger of...
Being hoisted to the boardroom of the APS Bank in Floriana is a pleasant sensation. Their lift combines practicality with aesthetics, not an easy amalgamation in a town-house of character. It was a good omen. I find that good taste is a harbinger of creativity. I was invited to a different sort of press conference; not one of those boorish neverending monologues they often turn out to be. This one smacked of expectations. As the minute motley crowd of journalists and personalities took to their seats I took in the surroundings. Some carefully chosen works of art by Maltese artists adorn the walls. This must be one of those extremely rare instances where the artist actually looks down on the money, I mused. Then that permanently boyish-looking Lino Delia, chairman of the APS bank, came in and the conference was on.
I now digress. When Malta became a fully fledged member of the EU we celebrated in style. Some new member countries, like Poland, put on a relatively small choir singing a capella in a square and the nation listened in, and to, the harmony. We had opted at something somewhat bigger. We all recall the transformation of the façade of St Angelo's fortress into a backcloth on which those gigantic colourful images were projected. Now along with the loud and visually inspiring fireworks, the decorated and lit seacraft, the huge crowds jostling for better views along the opposite side of the port, the elite clinking their champagne glasses up at the Barakka and live television's hyperbolical coverage of the evening, there was, for those lucky enough to have heard it, some extract of original music, which barely lasted all of 25 minutes, by Roger Waters. Remember?
Having announced the 2008 APS Bank Music Competition for Maltese Composers, Prof. Delia introduced Joseph Vella Bondin as its organisational chairman. Now I have had my share of tiffs with Mr Vella Bondin but when it comes to things-musical and things-Maltese I do not think there is anybody around who can lay his tiniest finger anywhere on his considerable hulk. His extensive contribution to the local musical scene, both as a singer and musical researcher, is coupled with an almost frenetic passion to give Maltese music and its composers their due. We were about to learn about the winning composition in line with the cultural strategy of the bank. (I do understand that it is not easy to fathom, but a cultural strategy may actually exist beyond the pages of an electoral manifesto).
The competition concerned an oratorio-like creation based on either the three canticles in the Gospel of St Luke or on a bunch of pre-selected poems by Malta's unsung maestro of verbal harmony, Rużar Briffa. Three top international adjudicators evaluated the submitted works, reported collectively on their findings and announced the winner of the competition. For the dozen or so people in that boardroom the suspense equalled a centenary of Eurovision finals or 20 cases of vodka. The only difference lay in the quality of music. This was the kind people heard via their ears, not with their feet.
Mr Waters, who was paid for the use of Ca Ira, the musical portion played during the ceremony marking Malta's EU entry, was the frontman of the Pink Floyd. He gave a tremendous concert at the Luxol Grounds in July 2006. Apart from the capacity packed ground, the concert will be memorable for the fact that he never mentioned Syd Barrett, his ex colleague, who had died a few days before, and showed no emotions when singing Barrett's Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Wish You Were Here.
There was also some booing when he sang Mother Should I Trust the Government? with the Prime Minister and other high government officials present. Maybe few are aware of the facts behind Mr Waters's The Wall concert of July 21, 1990 which took place on Potsdamer Platz. It was one of the biggest concerts ever staged with a paying attendance of over 300,000. It was watched live by over five million people worldwide. Surprisingly, it was reported that the funds raised from the concert barely covered expenses. However, syndication and home-video sales allowed Mr Waters to present his chosen charity with a sizeable donation.
Albert Borg was unanimously proclaimed the winner.
When it came to issuing the DVD marking Malta's EU port celebrations, Mr Waters, as is customary, wanted a fresh contract for the use of his music. No deal. Singer-composer Vince Fabri, whom I call Mr Music Nice-Guy, stepped in.
Mr Borg's work highly enthused the adjudicators. Noted musicologist Paola Emilio Carapazza, with known connections at the Massimo, will have it staged in Palermo and elswhere. Ekaterina Dotcheva, musical producer and music critic of Kultura, spoke with me of getting our mutual friends, Plamen Kartalov, now back with Sofia Opera after his stint in Melbourne, and Kalina Stefanova, who heads the drama division at the University, to delve deeper into "the marvellous simplicity of Rużar". Conductor-composer Colin Touchin echoed the same sentiments. Just like Theodorakis' Hymn of the Republic (composed by the Greek renowned composer in answer to a personal request by Dom Mintoff), Mr Borg's elegy to Mr Briffa's verse will be available to play and listen to for posterity.
May Mr Borg's music provide us, and the coming generations, with a relaxing bridge whenever we need to break free from life's troubled waters.
I now digress. When Malta became a fully fledged member of the EU we celebrated in style. Some new member countries, like Poland, put on a relatively small choir singing a capella in a square and the nation listened in, and to, the harmony. We had opted at something somewhat bigger. We all recall the transformation of the façade of St Angelo's fortress into a backcloth on which those gigantic colourful images were projected. Now along with the loud and visually inspiring fireworks, the decorated and lit seacraft, the huge crowds jostling for better views along the opposite side of the port, the elite clinking their champagne glasses up at the Barakka and live television's hyperbolical coverage of the evening, there was, for those lucky enough to have heard it, some extract of original music, which barely lasted all of 25 minutes, by Roger Waters. Remember?
Having announced the 2008 APS Bank Music Competition for Maltese Composers, Prof. Delia introduced Joseph Vella Bondin as its organisational chairman. Now I have had my share of tiffs with Mr Vella Bondin but when it comes to things-musical and things-Maltese I do not think there is anybody around who can lay his tiniest finger anywhere on his considerable hulk. His extensive contribution to the local musical scene, both as a singer and musical researcher, is coupled with an almost frenetic passion to give Maltese music and its composers their due. We were about to learn about the winning composition in line with the cultural strategy of the bank. (I do understand that it is not easy to fathom, but a cultural strategy may actually exist beyond the pages of an electoral manifesto).
The competition concerned an oratorio-like creation based on either the three canticles in the Gospel of St Luke or on a bunch of pre-selected poems by Malta's unsung maestro of verbal harmony, Rużar Briffa. Three top international adjudicators evaluated the submitted works, reported collectively on their findings and announced the winner of the competition. For the dozen or so people in that boardroom the suspense equalled a centenary of Eurovision finals or 20 cases of vodka. The only difference lay in the quality of music. This was the kind people heard via their ears, not with their feet.
Mr Waters, who was paid for the use of Ca Ira, the musical portion played during the ceremony marking Malta's EU entry, was the frontman of the Pink Floyd. He gave a tremendous concert at the Luxol Grounds in July 2006. Apart from the capacity packed ground, the concert will be memorable for the fact that he never mentioned Syd Barrett, his ex colleague, who had died a few days before, and showed no emotions when singing Barrett's Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Wish You Were Here.
There was also some booing when he sang Mother Should I Trust the Government? with the Prime Minister and other high government officials present. Maybe few are aware of the facts behind Mr Waters's The Wall concert of July 21, 1990 which took place on Potsdamer Platz. It was one of the biggest concerts ever staged with a paying attendance of over 300,000. It was watched live by over five million people worldwide. Surprisingly, it was reported that the funds raised from the concert barely covered expenses. However, syndication and home-video sales allowed Mr Waters to present his chosen charity with a sizeable donation.
Albert Borg was unanimously proclaimed the winner.
When it came to issuing the DVD marking Malta's EU port celebrations, Mr Waters, as is customary, wanted a fresh contract for the use of his music. No deal. Singer-composer Vince Fabri, whom I call Mr Music Nice-Guy, stepped in.
Mr Borg's work highly enthused the adjudicators. Noted musicologist Paola Emilio Carapazza, with known connections at the Massimo, will have it staged in Palermo and elswhere. Ekaterina Dotcheva, musical producer and music critic of Kultura, spoke with me of getting our mutual friends, Plamen Kartalov, now back with Sofia Opera after his stint in Melbourne, and Kalina Stefanova, who heads the drama division at the University, to delve deeper into "the marvellous simplicity of Rużar". Conductor-composer Colin Touchin echoed the same sentiments. Just like Theodorakis' Hymn of the Republic (composed by the Greek renowned composer in answer to a personal request by Dom Mintoff), Mr Borg's elegy to Mr Briffa's verse will be available to play and listen to for posterity.
May Mr Borg's music provide us, and the coming generations, with a relaxing bridge whenever we need to break free from life's troubled waters.