A monument to Mro Giuseppe Giardini Vella (1885-1974) was inaugurated by Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana at Villa Rundle, Victoria. Mro Giardini was the musical director of the La Stella Band.

Dr Caruana said Mro Giardini was a great benefactor of Gozo, especially Victoria. He would certainly be remembered for his hymn-cantata Al Glorioso Martire (1930), played during the annual feast of St George when the statue of the saint is carried out of the basilica surrounded by palm fronds.

The Chorus Urbanus, under the musical direction of John Galea, performed some of Giardini’s compositions from his operettas and repertoire of sacred music.

La Stella Band president Chev. Paul Cassar and Dr Galea read papers about Giardini’s life and works, while soprano Yvonne Galea and tenor Mario Portelli sang some of his musical works. Flower wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument, the work of Joseph Xerri.

The evening was presented by Dr Paul George Pisani.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.