To mark the occasion of the Liturgical Feast of Pope Saint John Paul II, the JP2 Foundation will be hosting The Eurode Youth Orchestra (EJO) from Germany.
The youth orchestra will be performing in three events round Malta and Gozo.
On Thursday, the 22nd of October, being the Liturgical Day, the orchestra will participate in a High Mass celebrated by Mgr. George Frendo Archbishop Emeritus at 6.15pm at Our Lady of Porto Salve and Saint Dominic Basilica in Valletta. Immediately after the Mass ends the youth orchestra will perform a commemorative concert at the Basilica.
Then, on Friday, the 23rd, the German Youth Orchestra will repeat the commemorative concert at St. Augustin Church in Victoria, Gozo starting at 7.30pm.
This is followed on Sunday, the 25th, with the orchestra animating he 11.15am Mass at the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu Basilica, in Gharb.
The Eurode Youth Orchestra (EJO) is a musical association of advanced young instrumentalists aged 12 to 24 from the Euregio, the region located at the tripoint of the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.
Founded more than 30 years ago under the name “Our Symphony Orchestra,” it has operated under the name Eurode Youth Orchestra since 2011, under the overall direction of Dr. Martin Eibach. The EJO is supported by music educators from Aachen and Herzogenrath.
It is also a joint cooperation project of the Herzogenrath Music School and the Herzogenrath Municipal Grammar School. As an open program, it attracts between 35 and 50 young people for each project phase.
The project phases take place over four to five weekends each year and consist of music-cultural and instrumental workshops. In cooperation with the young musicians, demanding musical programmes are developed.
These range stylistically from classical / sacred music to contemporary symphonic film music and pop music and are presented in one or two concerts each year. The EJO is a member of the Rheinische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Musik e.V. in Viersen and Jeunesses Musicales Germany.
Since 2010, the EJO has maintained a long-standing international partnership with the Gozo Youth Orchestra and Wind Band. Together with its conductor, Dr. Joseph Grech, more than 250 young people and young adults have participated in joint musical and intercultural workshops and projects, sharing their enthusiasm for making music together as well as their knowledge of each other’s countries.
Entrance to the these events is free and the public is warmly invited to attend.
Photo: JP2 Foundation