Cappella Sanctae Catharinae’s annual Christmas concert, Gaudete, takes place on Saturday and next Sunday, offering some glorious festive choral music and beautiful carols.

Cappella Sanctae Catharinae is Malta’s only all-male choir, and has established itself as one of the island’s cultural mainstays. The choir offers beautiful and often unusual repertoire in some of Malta’s most beautiful spaces.

This year they will be joined by soprano Danielle Ciantar. The repertoire includes Giovanni Battista Crivelli’s 17th century Christmas pastorale Salvete Pastores, as well as such carols as I Wonder as I Wander and Personent Hodie. The choir will also be reviving an old Maltese carol, collected from Birkirkara two years ago, called Kant lil Betlem. Moreover, the choir organises these concerts to raise funds for various worthy philanthropic or heritage causes, and this year’s Christmas concerts will be no exception.

This year the choir will be holding its annual Christmas concert at Siġġiewi parish church on Saturday at 7.30pm. This beautiful baroque church is one of the lesser known gems on the island, and although it is more known for its fantastic 19th century portico and huge square, it contains some wonderful gems inside, including the recently restored titular painting of St Nicholas by none other than Mattia Preti.

Gaudete will be helping to collect funds for the restoration of the chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows. The ceiling was painted by Lazzaro Pisani in 1931 and two years later a certain Palmieri decorated the apse.

Next Sunday at 11am, the choir will be singing at the church of Our Lady of Victories in Valletta at the invitation of Din l-Art Ħelwa. This is the second time that Cappella Sanctae Catharinae will be holding its morning Christmas concert here. The church is undergoing a massive restoration project, and the choir is proud to support Din l-Art Ħelwa in its endeavours.

Entrance to both concerts is free, but a retiring collection in aid of the respective churches will be made. For further information you can contact the choir via their Facebook page /CappellaSanctaeCatharinae or via e-mail on cappellamalta@gmail.com.

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