Children’s choir awarded first golden diploma in Malta

A children’s choir has become the first to win the golden diploma at the Malta International Choir Competition and Festival.

Following their performance at St Publius Church, Floriana, on November 5, the Mirabitur Youth Choir achieved the first golden diploma for Malta in the Fourth Malta International Choir Competition and Festival, thus qualifying for the Champions Competition of the 2012 World Choir Games.

The choir is made up of 27 children, the youngest of whom is seven years old. All play a musical instrument and thus read music.

The programme which they chose was Caccini’s Ave Maria, Rutter’s The Lord Bless You And Keep You, Mac Huff’s version of The Rhythm of Life, and Coleman’s Sister Act, thus ranging from classical to pop. The pianist was Mario Attard.

The Mirabitur Youth Choir was founded a year ago by Simone Attard on a voluntary basis and singing lessons are held every week.

Her aim is to encourage young children to appreciate music of different genres from an early age, instilling in them a love of classical music by combining it with modern music.

This year the choir participated in the National Via Sagra held in Mdina on Maundy Thursday and also sang live on a TV programme.

Last July, the young choir also sang the children’s choruses in Carmina Burana with the National Philharmonic Orchestra at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

Attard has over 27 years teaching experience in singing and pianoforte.

She is the pianist of tenor Joseph Calleja, has coached the Manoel Theatre choir for 10 operatic productions, has coached both soloists and choristers for more than 20 musicals, and is the foundress and directress of the Kor Mirabitur (which has taken part in operatic productions, oratorios, cantatas and other musical concerts with both local bands and orchestras, including with the National Philharmonic Orchestra).

She worked both as a teacher and later as an assistant head at the Johann Strauss School of Music for 20 years until she was transferred to Gżira Boys’ Secondary last year.

This competition and festival was organised by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, the Malta Tourism Authority and Interkultur Foundation (Germany).

For further information about the choir e-mail simone.attard@hotmail.com.