Gozo’s Gaulitanus Choir has just returned from its eight concert tour in Firenze, Italy, which was held between the 2nd and the 7th of December 2010.
The choir had several singing commitments, all sacred in nature and in important venues in this hub of European culture.
The first appointment was on Saturday, the 4th of December at the historic, San Lorenzo Basilica, in the very heart of the city centre.On the invitation of the Associazione Culturale ‘Beato Angelico per il Rinascimento,’ the choir gave a concert of Christmas music as part of a Christmas festival organised by the same organisation at San Lorenzo. The director of the Associazione, Padre Alfonso Fressola, introduced the Gozitan choir to the audience present and explained the work of his organisation, after which a number of Christmas excerpts in a variety of languages including Maltese were performed.
On Sunday, the 5th of December in the morning, the choir gave a short recital at St Mark’s English Church, one of the best-known Florentine concert venues. After being introduced by Robin Walker, the resident musical director, the choir performed Mendelssohn’s motet O for the wings (with treble soloist, Annabelle Zammit), as well as Colin Attard’s own Magnificat (with soprano soloist Rita Dimech) and his hymn Is-Sultana tal-paci. Once again violinist Pierre Louis Attard joined the fray. Following the recital, the Gozitan choir joined the St Mark’s resident choir in animating the service celebrated by Rev. Lawrence MacLean, the chaplain of the church.
On Sunday evening the Gaulitanus then moved to the magnificent Basilica of Sta Croce, the principal Franciscan church in Florence and animated the 6.00pm mass.
The choir concluded its commitments on Monday the 6th, in the parish of Sta Felicita where special celebrations were being held to mark the visit of the statue of the Madonna of Fatima and the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Gozitan choir first animated the very well-attended 6.00pm mass celebrated by parish priest Padre Francesco Maria, who had invited the choir to Sta. Felicita and co-ordinated its visit.
Inspite of the choir’s full musicla schedule they and the supporters who accompanied the choir also found time go sightseeing. Apart from exploring the many gems that make up Firenze, the group visited Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, Montepulciano and Fiesole.