Frans Said wrote a very interesting article about the Maltese composer Nicolò Isouard (The Sunday Times, March 25).

Isouard (1775-1818) wrote at least 42 operas and served as maestro di cappella of St John’s Co-Cathedral.

When Isouard moved to Paris in 1800 he took the name of Nicolò (de Malte). He had two daughters, Sophie-Nicole, a singer and composer, and Annette-Julie, a pianist and composer.

Nicolò Isouard died in 1818 and was buried at the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Along the years, the Maltese have paid homage to this great composer.

In 1871, the Mosta Band Club was formed. In 1879, the band was renamed Nicolò Isouard Band by its president, Prof. Napoleon Tagliaferro.

He was convinced that the band should bear the name of a famous Maltese composer who did Maltese music proud. The band club is the only philharmonic society in Malta to bear the name of a Maltese composer.

In his article, Mr Said states that Isouard’s work should be better known by the Maltese public.

Last year, our society celebrated its 140th anniversary. Over the years it always kept alive the memory of Nicolò Isouard.

About 20 years ago, through the work of its president Joe Cauchi and Victor Zammit, who was its bandmaster from 1983 to 1999, and with the co-operation of the committee, the society obtained various musical scores by Isouard.

Since then, Mro Zammit has made several musical arrangements of these works which were performed by the band. They include Agnus Dei, A La Vierge Marie, Cendrillon, Le Ballet de Loterie, Jeannet et Colin, Joconde, Un Jour à Paris and Cimarosa.

Mro Zammit also made arrangements of various works of Isouard’s daughter Sophie-Nicole.

Our society has a special mission to keep alive the memory of this great composer.