Calleja rehearses for Saturday

The booming tenor’s voice resonated around Robert Sammut Hall and blended harmoniously with the angelic voices of a 200-strong children’s choir yesterday.

Rehearsals in the century-old church were underway in the afternoon for the Joseph Calleja concert to be held on Saturday on the Granaries in Floriana.

The annual concert by the internationally renowned tenor – a self-confessed “Maltaholic” – is held every summer, bringing together pop and opera. The formula is a crowd-pleaser year in, year out.

“Rehearsals are in full swing and we are all very excited and looking forward to the concert,” Mr Calleja told The Times yesterday.

The line-up includes Italian favourite Gigi D’Alessio and Irish heart-throb Ronan Keating, both of whom will perform a duet with the tenor. The HSBC children’s choir will also be a highlight.

Several of the musical arrangements were done by Kevin and Paul Abela.

The Malta Philarmonic Orchestra will be directed by the internationally acclaimed conductor Steven Mercurio, who has collaborated with Mr Calleja on his new album, a tribute to opera star Mario Lanza.

Maestro Mercurio is a renowned name in the symphonic and operatic worlds. He has worked with Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Carreras, Domingo and has conducted more than 45 different operas in seven different languages.