The Valletta International Baroque Ensemble (VIBE) will be performing a selection of baroque music in a celebration in honour of St Cecilia, patron saint of music, tomorrow in Valletta.

The earliest recorded celebrations for St Cecilia’s day date back to the 17th century. The festivities were entitled Musick Feasts and comprised of some days dedicated to musical performances culminating in a choral service on the day dedicated to St Cecilia, November 22, with an anthem and specially commissioned works by the foremost composers of the time.

VIBE, led by Catherine Martin, presents a programme of works by two of the greatest baroque masters, Handel and Purcell, and work by contemporary Maltese composer Alex Vella Gregory.

Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 5 and Op. 3 No. 6 are fine examples of this form, so popular in the early 18th century, which is marked by the contrast between a small group of soloists (the concertino) and the entire orchestra (the tutti). Composed in late 1739, these concertos quickly became some of the most popular orchestral works of their time.

Purcell’s Fairy Queen, loosely based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is scored for a varied mix of solos, choruses, dances, and other instrumental pieces. For this concert, VIBE has chosen a selection of dances interspersed with songs for soprano.

Vella Gregory’s composition is inspired by the baroque form of the Concerto Grosso. The work is scored for two treble instruments and harpsichord as concertino, backed by a tutti string section.

VIBE, which is managed by the Manoel Theatre and is the resident ensemble of the Valletta International Baroque Festival, is drawn from prominent Maltese instrumentalists who collaborate with and are coached by international baroque specialists. It seeks to perform music from the renaissance and baroque periods in a historically informed way on original instruments.

 

■ Tomorrow’s concert is taking place at St Augustine’s church in Valletta at 8 pm. Concert tickets are available from www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or 2124 6389.

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