Some 60 choristers from the St Paul Choral Society will be in London in September to perform during the Malta Day festivities.
Under the musical directorship of the choir’s founder, Hugo Agius Muscat, the choir will sing during Mass at Westminster Cathedral and in a concert of Maltese folklore songs by Carmelo Pace at a reception at Westminster Hall.
Four hymns by Dun Karm will be included in the choir’s repertoire, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of the Maltese national poet.
Agius Muscat will be introducing Maltese composer, Mgr Carmelo Scerri’s Mass, Quddiesa Ferħ il-Għid.
The choir will be accompanied on the organ by Elisabeth Conrad, the choir’s resident organist.
The choir’s additional engagements include a concert at St Paul’s Cathedral, a concert at St Michael Cornhill and a joint concert with the London Forest Choir. Both accompanied and a cappella music in Maltese, English and Latin is to be sung.
The choir has been invited by Maltese High Commissioner to the UK Joseph Zammit Tabona.
The St Paul Choral Society is a polyphonic choir and its repertoire ranges from the 16th century to the present day. Established in 1998, it regularly performs at St John’s Co-Cathedral, and to date it has performed in over 140 singing events in Malta and Gozo.
In Advent the SPCS leads the singing in the traditional Anglican service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Paul’s Cathedral and at Holy Trinity Church, Sliema.
In 2008, as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, it issued a CD of Christmas carols,O Ġesù, Ħelwa Tarbija. In 2009, it took part in the Malta International Choir Festival and Competition, organised by the Interkultur Foundation.
The choir was the only Maltese one which competed with the visiting choirs from abroad. It won aSilver Diploma (Level V the highest ever placing earned by a Maltese choir.
Its most recent concert was held in November 2010 at St John’s Co-Cathedral where the Requiem Masses of Michael Haydn and Gabriel Faure’ were performed.
The choir will perform a lunchtime recital of a capella choral music at St Paul’s Cathedral, Valletta on September 8.
The London schedule is as follows: September 9, noon-12.45 p.m: Parish Church of St Michael Cornhill (City of London Choir and organ concert; 7.30-9 p.m: Joint choral concert with the London Forest Choir at the United Reform Church, 2B, Buxton Road, Chingford; September 10, noon: Westminster Hall: Singing of traditional Maltese folklore pieces by Carmelo Pace for Malta Day Celebrations; 2.30 p.m: Westminster Cathedral: High Mass; September 11, noon: Sunday Morning sung Mass at Our Lady of Victories Church, 235a, Kensington High Street, Kensington.