As the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra prepared for its upcoming concert Wayne Marshall in Gozo, Maria Blanco found the perfect opportunity of having a chat with the man himself.

Wayne Marshall is a man who is equally comfortable on the podium as he is behind a keyboard. A musician whose name is recognised all over the world for his prowess at the organ, a pianist who has dazzled many a stage with his virtuosity and a conductor whose affinity with jazz-influenced music has inspired countless orchestral musicians.

And, as we delved into his musical development, his impressive career and demanding professional schedule full of extraordinary experiences, it was this man’s humanity and humility that left the greatest impression on me.

Wayne’s parents came from Barbados and settled in the UK in the late 1950s. Wayne had a very simple upbringing, his childhood memories filled with the joy of shared musical experiences with the family and at the church, which was very close to their home in Oldham near Manchester. His mother was a pianist and his two sisters also grew up to be professional singers. Wayne would play the organ regularly at the church, and this is something that is still very close to his heart.

“I always make sure that I play during Mass on Christmas Eve, and for the Easter Vigil… and if I were living in Malta 365 days a year, I would be playing the organ in church every Sunday.”

Wayne’s wife and two children live in Malta and, while Wayne is extremely busy travelling all over the world with his professional work, he calls Malta his home and is the one place he will always be at during the holiday seasons.

“I don’t like to be working abroad at that time. This is family time, and it is very very important for me.”

And the parishioners of St Augustine Church in Valletta get the pleasure of hearing this world-class organist perform regularly at their church.

“I like to go to church when I’m here, and one thing that is very special about Malta is that there are so many beautiful churches and a few good organs too!”

Needless to say, there are a few other things that Wayne likes about Malta. “Of course I love the climate here – that’s one thing that I do miss when I’m abroad. And there’s such a lovely atmosphere here which feels like you can really just go outside and enjoy this wonderful scenery.”

When we finally start to talk about the music scene in Malta, Wayne is full of praise for the orchestra and its musicians. “I always enjoy working with the Malta Philharmonic. We’re very fortunate to have an orchestra of this calibre here.”

Wayne recalls having heard the orchestra when he moved to Malta some 12 years ago, and points out the importance of appreciating the difference of how it was back then and where they are now. Wayne also stresses that “the one thing that is lacking here in Malta, of course, is a real first-class cultural centre. We really need a proper concert hall. I mean we have an orchestra… they now need a home, they need somewhere to keep their instruments and music and everything under one umbrella, a place they can really call home”.

Music is not a job for me, it’s a way of life

Every musician who has ever worked with Wayne testifies about his great affinity for music influenced by jazz and the great American 20th century music. This is the style of music that seems to ooze out of his very being, and I am keen to understand how this love developed.

“When I was about eight years old, I heard a performance of the Gershwin Piano Concerto on the radio back in Manchester. It was interesting to hear this style of music. I became very intrigued with it, got the score, learned the piece, and later played it at school.”

The special affinity that he found with this style of music opened the door to discovering other works of George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Copland and, of course, the great Hollywood musical scene of which he is a great interpreter. I wanted to know what was the special musical ingredient that Wayne had found in this music, and he explained:

“I think I understand about the feel of it, which is not in the score, that’s not something that is written in the score. It’s how the music feels, that is the most important thing.

Feeling – that is the greatest message Wayne hopes to get across, both to the orchestral musicians as well as the audience. For Wayne, a vital aspect of being a musician is that one is here to communicate to the audience.

“Communication is important not just with the orchestra, but also with the audience. It’s very important to remember that we’re all the same on this planet, we’re all the same. I don’t make myself appear to be different from anybody else; greater or lesser. We’re all the same.”

Wayne believes that concerts are a good way of expressing and communicating to the audience, a way of reaching out.

“It’s not only about the present audience, but about the future audience that is going to attend. We want to keep the cultural diversity strong and we also want to keep the cultural interest in people very healthy so that they at least can say  that they are actually going to hear the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra play. A concert is something we really want to do in the future.”

And Wayne’s upcoming concert with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is definitely not something to be missed. Young Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan will be joining as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s  Variations on a Rococo Theme, before the orchestra gives a performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony, which Wayne describes as one of his all-time favourite symphonies, an intense work and a veritable ‘tour de force’ for the performers.

The concert takes place on November 25 at 8pm at the Astra Theatre, Victoria. Tickets are available online or by calling 2124 4473.

www.maltaorchestra.com

www.showshappening.com

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