A stock photo of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lent usually brings with it a lot of heavy going and pedantic sacred concerts with the usual mix of funerary dirges and sentimental pseudo-religious vocal works.

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Mozart and Verdi’s requiems and Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar rank high on the list of ‘Most Magnificently Murdered Pieces for Lent’.

It was, therefore, refresh-ing to be able to attend the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra’s (MPO) performance of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, performed in collaboration with the Schola Cantorum Jubilate.

The MPO was led by Christopher Muscat, whose experience in choral music was certainly reflected in his direction. He conducted the ensemble with great sensitivity and despite the secular setting, managed to capture the sacred essence of the works on the programme.

Mro Muscat was also lucky to have the Schola Cantorum Jubilate singing, a Gozitan choir whose reputation for good, polished performances is well-deserved.

The most impressive thing about this choir is the young age of its choristers, as well as their commitment and musicality. Although females outnumber the males, there was a great sense of balance and unity.

The evening opened with Vivaldi’s Sinfonia in B minor ‘Al Santo Sepolcro’, an intense and deeply reflective piece. I must admit I am not entirely convinced that this was an appropriate prelude to the rest of the programme, but it certainly set the sacred mood.

For those who are familiar with Vivaldi, mostly through such show-off pieces as The Four Seasons, this work will come as a surprise. Instead of his usual flamboyant Venetian pageantry, Vivaldi’s music is austere and penitential. The MPO’s strings gave a sensitive performance.

Duruflé’s fame rests mostly (and deservedly) on his Requiem, which as far as I know has never been performed in Malta before. It is a relatively recent work (it was written in 1947), and it is based on the plainchant from the Office of the Dead of the Catholic Liturgy. The work is challenging not only for its technical difficulties but also for its delicate musical textures, even in the more dramatic moments.

The Requiem was preceded by two motets by Duruflé, namely the Tantum Ergo and Ubi Caritas. The aim was to familiarise the audience with the com-poser’s sound world and give an example of his use of plainchant in his works.

I, personally, found these pieces the weakest, and not because of the performance itself, but mostly because of their intrinsic musical weaknesses. The main problem is that these works work well in their original liturgical context, but suffer in a concert setting.

Nevertheless, Schola Cantorum Jubilate gave a credible performance of both motets. The Tantum Ergo got off to a slightly shaky start, but soon settled down.

Ubi Caritas was more successful, and felt more confident and polished. Apart from preparing the audience towards Duruflé’s style, it also helped to settle the choir and establish their sound in the space.

As requiems go, Duruflé’s is hardly one of my favourites, so it is to the musicians’ credit that they kept me captivated throughout. There were some moments where I was also genuinely moved.

In line with French taste, the Dies Irae is omitted, and emphasis is made on the concept of salvation rather than judge-ment. For a work written immediately after World War II, it might seem odd that Duruflédownplays the apocalyptic elements in the text (think of Britten’s War Requiem). Yet, it is this curious detachment which makes the work so appealing.

Schola Cantorum Jubilate imbued this work with plenty of energy, and shone in the more dramatic passages of the work such as the Domine Jesu Christe and Libera me.

They had seamless choral crescendos and decrescendos which sounded effortless. The most impressive element of their performance was the way it all sounded natural and facile, and yet the work itself is notoriously difficult.

It is to the musicians’ credit that they kept me captivated throughout

There were, of course, a few moments where I was slightly less convinced, namely in the Lux Aeterna, which to me sounds more like doorbell music, but that is Duruflé’s doing, not the choir’s.

The evening also had featured two soloists. One was Albert Buttigieg who sang the solo passages in the Domine Jesu Christe and the Libera Me from the choir ranks as directed by the composer.

Buttigieg sang the passages with great sensitivity, and always sang ‘from the ranks’ rather than as an independent soloist. The only real solo in the piece is the Pie Jesu which was sung by mezzo soprano Marvic Monreal, together with an obbligato cello played by Mario Psaila.

I found this the highlight of the evening. Marvic Monreal’s interpretation went beyond mere technical capability, and her interpretation was nothing short of moving.

Also to be commended was the crisp organ playing of organist Simone Webber. As with the choral parts, this seemingly simple organ accompaniment is actually quite daunting, which is not surprising given that Duruflé himself was one of the greatest French organists of his generation.

Although all the conducting was done by Mro Muscat, I feel congratulations should be extended to Mark Gauci, Schola Cantorum Jubilate’s new choir master. He has only recently taken over from Marouska Attard (who is abroad furthering her studies), and to tackle such a work as this is no mean feat.