AFM band performs in international arts festival
The military band of the Armed Forces of Malta took the stage at the prestigious festival of Montepulciano in Italy late last month. The programme also featured the collaboration of Italian percussion ensemble Ars Ludi that is widely recognised across...
The military band of the Armed Forces of Malta took the stage at the prestigious festival of Montepulciano in Italy late last month. The programme also featured the collaboration of Italian percussion ensemble Ars Ludi that is widely recognised across Europe as a leading ensemble of new and experimental music.
This project was originally conceived as the final concert of the Malta Arts Festival in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute. The concert was inaugurated at the opera ruins in Valletta on July 17. Three days later the same programme was presented in Montepulciano featuring works by 20th century composers and a series of arrangements for brass and percussion.
The programme included the music of Philip Glass, Frank Zappa, John Cage, John Williams, Aaron Copland and others.
Artistic director Carlo Cavalletti embraced the proposal for this concert within the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano which is in its 33rd year running. Mr Cavalletti claimed that this was the first time that a military band was participating in the festival. One of the Ars Ludi percussionists also claimed that as a professional ensemble they had been trying to collaborate with a military band for many years but never managed due to bureaucratic issues.
It had to be the Armed Forces of Malta to accept the challenge. The principal concert was held on July 20 on the main stage in front of the cathedral of Montepulciano. Besides the international composers on the programme, the concert also featured music from Malta: Maltese Folklore by Anthony Chicop, based on a series of local folk melodies and the composition Ħalel by Ruben Zahra, a virtuoso showpiece for the whole ensemble.
The following day, the military band of the Armed Forces of Malta and the Ars Ludi percussion ensemble gave another concert in the city of Cetona. This event was held in the main piazza and the programme took a more popular twist with pieces like Feel Good by James Brown and Peter Gunn by Henry Mancini, which entertained the audience no end.
Although the band of the Armed Forces of Malta has travelled abroad on previous occasions, this was its first invitation at an international arts festival. It is a very bold decision for any military band to move away from the secure base of military fanfares and navigate the uncharted waters of 20th century music. The concerts were very well received and some of the audience members claimed that the band actually sounded like an orchestra.
This success was due to the commitment of the entire band, especially that of Capt. Ivan Borg who handled the music direction of the entire project. These events are very significant for our local cultural profile. International festivals are an opportunity to represent Malta on the same platform as other countries within the common territory of the arts.
The successful project was coordinated by Ruben Zahra from the Maltese end and Rodolfo Rossi from the Italian end.
This project was originally conceived as the final concert of the Malta Arts Festival in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute. The concert was inaugurated at the opera ruins in Valletta on July 17. Three days later the same programme was presented in Montepulciano featuring works by 20th century composers and a series of arrangements for brass and percussion.
The programme included the music of Philip Glass, Frank Zappa, John Cage, John Williams, Aaron Copland and others.
Artistic director Carlo Cavalletti embraced the proposal for this concert within the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano which is in its 33rd year running. Mr Cavalletti claimed that this was the first time that a military band was participating in the festival. One of the Ars Ludi percussionists also claimed that as a professional ensemble they had been trying to collaborate with a military band for many years but never managed due to bureaucratic issues.
It had to be the Armed Forces of Malta to accept the challenge. The principal concert was held on July 20 on the main stage in front of the cathedral of Montepulciano. Besides the international composers on the programme, the concert also featured music from Malta: Maltese Folklore by Anthony Chicop, based on a series of local folk melodies and the composition Ħalel by Ruben Zahra, a virtuoso showpiece for the whole ensemble.
The following day, the military band of the Armed Forces of Malta and the Ars Ludi percussion ensemble gave another concert in the city of Cetona. This event was held in the main piazza and the programme took a more popular twist with pieces like Feel Good by James Brown and Peter Gunn by Henry Mancini, which entertained the audience no end.
Although the band of the Armed Forces of Malta has travelled abroad on previous occasions, this was its first invitation at an international arts festival. It is a very bold decision for any military band to move away from the secure base of military fanfares and navigate the uncharted waters of 20th century music. The concerts were very well received and some of the audience members claimed that the band actually sounded like an orchestra.
This success was due to the commitment of the entire band, especially that of Capt. Ivan Borg who handled the music direction of the entire project. These events are very significant for our local cultural profile. International festivals are an opportunity to represent Malta on the same platform as other countries within the common territory of the arts.
The successful project was coordinated by Ruben Zahra from the Maltese end and Rodolfo Rossi from the Italian end.