It was gratifying to see such a large and appreciative audience which filled the refectory at the Carmelite Priory in Mdina, where the ‘Refectory Reflections’ concert was held on September 9.

The performers were soprano Rosabelle Bianchi, harpist Annemarie Camilleri Podestà and cellist Jacob Portelli.

The soft sound of the fluttering hand fans was hushed by the serene silence of the captivated audience as the three performers delivered the concert’s opening notes from Mozart’s Laudate Dominum Bianchi, who gave one of her best performances ever, delighted the audience by singing Caccini’s Ave Maria and Bellini’s tender Angiol di pace. Her delicate voice blended with the mystical peaceful surroundings of the refectory. Camilleri Podestà and Portelli truly excelled with their presentation of Pachelbel’s Canon and their harp and cello rendering of the intermezzo from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, while Cesar Franck’s Panis Angelicus was movingly played by the three musicians.

The programme was magical and exhilarating. Bianchi summed it all up with her quote from Johann Sebastian Bach: “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

This concert was certainly a glorious and profound experience. The audience’s appreciative response was tremendously satisfying.