The Three Priests performed to a packed church in Xaghra on Friday evening on their first visit to the island of Gozo for  a concert that was hailed as a magnificent success.

The Church of Nativity of Our Lady Basilica was the venue for the Irish priests who performed a number of sacred and popular songs on the occasion of the 50th anniversary from the Coronation of the titular statue of the Virgin Mary in Xaghra.

They were accompanied on the piano by Mro Dr. John Galea. There was also musical interlude by a choir or children under the direction of Grace Vella Refalo and accompanied on the piano by Dr. Joseph Camilleri.The children sang ‘Nadurawk ja Hobz tas Sema’ and ‘Reisaq Il-lejl Muleja’ written by the National Poet Monsignor Dun Karm Psaila and the ‘Hymn of the Coronation’ composed by the late Mro Nazzareno Refalo and words of Canon Giljan Refalo Rapa.

During the two hour programme, the priests, Fr. Eugene and his brother Fr. Martin O’Hagan who originally are from the village of Claudy, County Londonderry and Fr. David Delargy from Ballymena, County Antrim performed a varied repertoire.This included: ‘Laudamus te’ by Vivaldi, ‘Ave Maria’ by Schubert, ‘How great thou art’ by Carl Bobert, the ‘Benedictus’ which is the canticle of Zacharias, ‘King of Kings’ from the American film, ‘Ag Criost an Sol’ from Irish poetry, ‘Amazing Grace’ by John Newton, ‘Morning has broken’ by Eleanor Farjeon, ‘You raise me Up’ by Brendan Graham, ‘Lord of the Dance’ by Sydney Carter, ‘I cannot tell’ written by William Young Fullerton a writer from Belfast, ‘Panis Angelicus’ who came from the pen of Saint Thomas Aquinas, ‘Have I told you lately that I love You’ by Van Morrison, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ originally written by Paul McCartney, ‘Ave Verum’ which is a Eucharistic Hymn and ‘You will never walk alone’ from Rodgers’ Musical ‘Carousel’ and Hammerstein.

During the singing of the Ave Maria, the priests presented a bouquet of roses in front of the statue of Our Lady.

The Three Priests received a long, standing ovation at the end of the concert.Towards the end of this evening, Archpriest Mons Carmel Refalo thanked all those involved in organisation and presentation of what was a most memorable concert. He also expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the priests with a presentation of gifts.

The evening came to a close with three mothers, whose children are priests – Mari Sultana the mother of Priest Daniel Sultana, Marija Curmi, mother of three priests, two of them Archpriests and one in the Mission, and Marija Refalo mother of two other priests, one the same Archpriest of the Basilica and Can Anton Refalo Parish priest of Munxar.

The mothers presented a gift to these these singer-priests of world fame.

The Irish trio have been singing together since they boarded in the 1970s as students of St MacNissi’s College in Ireland.

After signing a deal with SonyBMG in 2008, the priests recorded their debut album, with the unusual honour of having been allowed to record in St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican.

The album ‘The Priests,’ which follows the name of this trio, was released worldwide in over 30 countries and to-date has sold more than 3 million copies and in fact got them into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the fastest-selling classical debut of all time.

‘The Priests’ have performed concerts in many other countries, including in Malta in 2013 and 2014.

Their message through music and song is intended to go beyond religion and culture and aims to deliver peace and hope to the world.

This occasion was held on the initiative of the JP2 Foundation with the full assistance of the Ministry for Gozo, the Directorate of Cultural Heritage as well of the Xaghra Local Council and with the blessing and full collaboration of the Xaghra Parish Chapter and the Archpriest.

Photos: JP2 Foundation – Bottom photo, Committe of the Foundation with The Three Priests

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