One cannot speak of the St Monica Choir without mentioning its founder and director for over half a century, Sr Beniamina Portelli.
The diminutive Augustinian sister had started learning the piano at the age of five, and continued furthering her music studies in Malta and overseas after joining the order at the age of 16.
Based in one of the Augustinian Sisters’ schools in Malta, the St Monica School in Mosta, she put her music studies to good use, teaching the piano to countless students over six decades.
But choral singing has been another passion of hers: she was the first person – worldwide – to be successful in obtaining an LLCM in choral conducting from the London College of Music.
Sr Beniamina had actually established an accordion band at St Monica before transforming it into the St Monica Choir in 1964.
“Sr Ben wanted to give her music students a new dimension to their studies and an opportunity to perform in front of an audience as well as exposure,” one of the choristers explains.
Regrettably, Sr Beniamina was unavailable for an interview due to illness, though choristers were all too pleased to sing her praises.
The term ‘second mother’ often pops up as choristers describe what Sr Beniamina meant to them during the years they spent in the choir.
“We really were like a family to each other,” one explains. “Saturday afternoon rehearsals were what we looked forward to, not only to make music together, but to meet our friends, all under the guidance of Sr Beniamina. Sister was there when we were passing through personal problems as well as when we rejoiced together.”
“She is not simply a mentor, but an accomplished professional musician who unselfishly gives her all, not holding back anything to herself,” another observes.
The choir was initially composed of St Monica students, but auditions were subsequently made open to all, and it evolved into a mixed choir.
Opportunities were few and far between when the choir was set up, but demand for choral music steadily increased over the years. As did competition, “which at times was fierce,” a chorister admits, but this also spurred the choir to improve as well as innovate.
These efforts paid off, however, as the choir scooped up numerous awards over the decades.
One particular highlight arrived in 1999, when it became the first – and so far only – Maltese choir to win the prestigious Malta International Choir Festival. It represented Malta during the first-ever edition of the Choir Olympics in Linz the following year, and earned itself a bronze medal in the mixed choirs category.
But such awards are just the tip of the iceberg, as many prominent Maltese musicians cut their teeth at the choir and made a name for themselves, in Malta as well as abroad.
Choir alumni include Maureen Galea, presently a tutor at the University of Surrey, conductor Michelle Castelletti, Paris-based pianist Stefan Cassar, mezzo-soprano Claire Massa, soprano Rosabelle Bianchi and Simone Attard, who followed Sr Beniamina’s footsteps to become a choir director in her own right.
“But most importantly, we’ve all received an educational formation allowing us to improve socially and spiritually, as well as culturally,” a chorister adds.
The SMC is a well-travelled choir that has performed in numerous European venues, including Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Esztergom Cathedral in Hungary, the Liverpool Philharmonic Theatre and the Vatican.
However, there’s no shortage of memorable Maltese concerts, as the choristers explain.
A performance of J.S. Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion and Christmas Oratorio at the St John’s Co-Cathedral stands out, for instance, not least because of the enormous challenge – “musically and logistically” – the works presented.
The choir also performed in the Malta premiere of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by the renowned Welsh composer Karl Jenkins in 2009, together with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, and joined the orchestra to close two editions of the Malta International Arts Festival, with one closing concert featuring Orff’s Carmina Burana and the other featuring extensive selections from Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess.
It was also selected from among six other choirs to sing in the liturgical celebration that took place during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Malta in April 2010.
Sr Beniamina – who celebrated her 85th birthday last month – retired as choir director last year, and this year, after careful consideration, the difficult decision was made to bring a remarkable 54-year experience to a close.
“A part of our life is going to end; our Saturday afternoons have been devoted to St Monica for many years,” a chorister who has formed part of SMC for the last 21 years muses.
The choir may be preparing for its swansong, but its legacy will certainly live on through the many musicians it has taught. Years of Saturday afternoon rehearsals under Sr Beniamina’s guidance certainly played their part in making Malta’s choir scene far more vibrant than it had been, especially when one considers that many choristers perform with multiple choirs.
“It’s where I started out, and I have since had many other opportunities thanks to what I learnt at St Monica. Sr Beniamina is to be thanked for this. I will forever be grateful for all she has taught me.”
The St Monica Choir will be organising its last concert next Sunday at St John’s Co-Cathedral under the direction of English tenor Nicholas Mulroy, with Sr Beniamina and Paul Attard joining him as assistant directors. The concert – named The Gentle Embrace of a Setting Sun – starts at 5pm, and will be followed by a thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona.