Last evening I was on the Granaries for the Joseph Calleja 2012 concert. What a beautiful do it was!
Joseph Calleja was superb. No wonder the internationally acclaimed conductor Steven Mercurio declared Calleja as the occupier of the throne previously the domain of Pavarotti. The enthusiastic reaction of the crowd in Floriana seems to be similarly inclined.
Italian Gigi D'Alessio and Irish Ronan Keating added to the crowd’s enjoyment. I must admit that I prefer Lucia Dalla to D’Alessio. I was moved by the tribute the organisers did to this great artiste who died a short time after last year’s concert.
The presence of the 200-strong HSBC children's choir gave the occasion a touch of innocence which hypes up its magical touch. Their beautiful rendering of the Anvil Chorus was particularly liked. The organisers should also be praised for giving us the duets between Calleja and soprano Gillian Zammit as well as with Amber. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra made us really proud.
During such concerts I tend to find myself following both the large screens and the centre stage. This combination of the physical with the medium generated presence enhances one’s participation as it gives us two different takes on the reality unfolding in front of us.
Well done, indeed! Like thousands of others I wait for next year’s concert.
The concert came just twenty four hours after I spent a week in Gozo together with family and friends. We hired a nice farmhouse with a large pool in Xewkija. I left the premises only in the morning to buy bread and in the evening for Mass. The rest of the time was taken by short spells at the pool and very long periods of time correcting exam scripts and assignments. I hate this particular chore. Like many others at University I would prefer to give an extra course than do the corrections. Believe me, this is one of the less beautiful things in life, is no fun at all.
During the week in Gozo I was also in the company of my recently bought new toy: iPad3. It is convenient, classy, fun and dangerously addictive. My initiation period was helped though by Beppe Lauri, about whom I wrote in one of my blogs last year.
Things were happening around us while time stood still in Gozo.
Scientists at CERN, after a lot of hard work, told us that they found the Higgs boson which is also described as “the god-particle”. I tried to read something about it but, to tell you the truth; I could not understand what all the excitement was about.
Some atheists were thrilled by the find. Catholics, on the other hand, were not dismayed. Father Gabriele Gionti, a Jesuit theoretical physicist, said that the discovery illustrates “the harmony in nature”. “If you assume faith and believe in a good God who created the Universe you do not see any conflict between science and religion.”
Back in Malta Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando Smith is graciously trying to divert our attention from the impending heat wave by speaking of the alleged collusion between Richard Cachia Caruana and high officials of the Partit Laburista during the Sant administration of 1996 – 1998. Wonder of wonders. Dr Joseph Muscat saw it fit to jump on the bandwagon and spoke up in similar tones to JPOS’s. No one was surprised.
Some see these shenanigans as evidence of the silly season in full bloom; others give them a worse interpretation.
I think that we should all be tolerant and not get too hot under our collars. I strongly believe that everyone – even seasoned politicians – have the right to endear themselves to a fairy tale of their making. It shows both a sense of inventiveness and evidence of the naughty child present in all of us. Adults do sometimes play the fancy games that very young children frequently indulge themselves in.
Take care of the real heat wave and just smile at the rest.