How does one sum up an experience that cannot be translated into words? There are many things I could say about the Arvo Pärt concert held at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta as part of the Malta International Arts Festival, but it would not even come close to reality.

The concert was made up of two different ensembles. On the High Altar was a string, harp and percussion chamber orchestra led by Mro Michael Laus. The orchestra was made up of a mixture of local and foreign musicians. Mro Laus elicited a very polished and balanced sound out of the orchestra, with just the right amount of restraint that characterises Pärt’s work.

In the middle of the cathedral, on the aisle, was a small vocal ensemble led by Michelle Castelletti. I was not entirely convinced about the placing of the choir midway, as the sound was not particularly resonant for those who, like me, were sitting close to them. The overall sound was full-bodied, although with a few rough edges particularly in the tenor section.

The programme was not entirely devoted to Arvo Pärt’s music, but rather it put his music in the context of other 20th-century works (with one exception). The idea was a concert of ‘mediation and inspiration’, and all the works contained a deeply reflective element. Although I love the approach, I personally could have done without the Mahler and Bach, if only to shorten the programme a little given how hot it was in there.

The concert opened with the hauntingly beautiful Magnificat, with some solid singing from the female choristers. The work is a typical example of Pärt’s tintinnabuli style, a compositional technique whereby the musical material is reduced to its bare essentials creating a haunting spiritual sound. This was followed by Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, undoubtedly one of Pärt’s most popular instrumental works. Again it is a remarkable piece where nothing and everything happens, leaving the listener suspended in a form of sonic hyper-reality.

We should be eternally grateful to Arvo Pärt for reminding us what it really means to be human

Pärt’s instrumental output was also represented with Festina Lente and Fratres. In both cases the ensemble delivered a very sensitive performance, with a sonorous sound that captured the style beautifully. I was more taken in by Fratres (performed in a version for string orchestra and percussion), but that boils down to personal taste.

We were also lucky to witness a performance of Greater Antiphons, a freshly commissioned work by the L.A. Philharmonic and its music director Gustavo Dudamel, which was receiving its second performance in the world by special permission of the same orchestra and Dudamel himself. The work is a reflection of the Magnificat Antiphons composed by Pärt himself in 1988, and proved a fitting conclusion to the evening.

Interspersed along the way were several works, including Barber’s Adagio and Mahler’s Adagietto from the 5th Symphony.

Although the Mahler is a gorgeous piece, I did feel it was a little out of place, perhaps a little too turbulent compared to the stillness of the other pieces.

The choir also performed Gorecki’s Totus Tuus, Bach’s setting of the Passion Chorale O Haupt voll Blut, and Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. I found the Bach rather out of place in the whole programme, and (here I’m being a purist) annoyed that it was sung in English.

Unfortunately, Lauridsen’s piece was cut short by the sound of theband outside.

As much as I would have loved to hear the Lauridsen piece, and knowing full well the frustration of not being able to perform because of outside noise, I need to clarify that the band had agreed to stop playing while passing besides the cathedral, which they duly did. Only that they miscalculated Valletta’s fantastic acoustics and the band could still be heard when it was quite far from the cathedral.

For the past years the Carmelite feast in Valletta has been celebrated on July 16. It is absolute madness to hold the Arts Festival exactly during that week. Moving it just a week earlier would make life easier for all.

I must admit I was curious about having Pärt’s minimalist music playing in the Baroque splendour of St John’s. The effect was mesmerising. It was like watching an extravagant spectacle in slow motion, and even though I have spent many hours admiring the vault and the decoration I felt like I had discovered something new.

A concert like this is not about self-indulgence for connoisseurs, but a challenge to our perception of the world. Pärt’s music is an excellent example of how art can have a broad appeal and yet remaining original and intellectually stimulating. We should be eternally grateful to Arvo Pärt for reminding us what it really means to be human.

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