Maltese folklore yesterday suffered the loss of folklorist and author Gorg Mifsud Chircop, 56, who is perhaps best known for his organisation of the National Folk Singing Festival, held for the first time in 1998.

Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech paid tribute to Dr Mifsud Chircop who, he said, worked incessantly to promote Maltese folklore especially folk singing - ghana.

The minister said that Dr Mifsud Chircop carried out his work with love and professionalism giving the National Folk Singing Festival an academic and cultural background.

He has authored several publications on the subject and so besides a void, he was also leaving behind a heritage and his work and research would be available for generations to come, the minister said.

Opposition spokesmen Carmelo Abela and Justyne Caruana said Maltese society had lost a person who did a lot for the cultural sector, especially folklore and the Maltese language.

Dr Mifsud Chircop's loss would leave a national void. His involvement in folklore helped the Maltese appreciate folk singing as part of their culture. In the language sector, he contributed as an educator, broadcaster, writer and publisher, they said.

Charles Coleiro, a member of the National Festivities Committee and a promoter of folk singing on TV, described Dr Mifsud Chircop as a man of action and an ardent supporter of the Maltese language. He was also disciplined and demanding, he said.

Folk singer Cikku Degiorgio Tal-Fjuri said Dr Mifsud Chircop was "a very good man" who sacrificed himself for Maltese folklore. He was in continuous contact with folk singers in the Mediterranean and took Maltese folk singers to Italy, Tunisia and Tripoli.

Through his work, greater awareness was created about local folk singing, resulting in wider popularity.

Sadness at Dr Mifsud Chircop's death was also expressed by the Nationalist Party, which said that Dr Mifsud Chircop had worked to enrich Malta's cultural sector, particularly in the fields of folklore and Maltese traditions.

As a teacher and broadcaster, Dr Mifsud Chircop also worked for Maltese to be well written and spoken.

Dr Mifsud Chircop authored several studies and publications in Maltese, English and Italian.