A cultural event entitled ‘It-Tniebri’ for Holy Week, organised by the Gozo Culture & Information Office, was held at St Joseph’s Chapel, on the Citadel.

The well-attended event started with a short harp recital by Jacob Portelli in St Joseph’s Chapel within the Cittadella followed by a historical talk about the Tenebrae by Anton F. Attard. A small selection of Chorus Urbanus then performed Vexilla Regis to accompany the re-enactment of the Tniebri ceremony.

All those present were then led through a re-enactment of a votive procession that included a number of hooded persons dragging chains as a sign of penance, something still found in a number of Good Friday processions in Malta and Gozo.

The male section of Chorus Urbanus accompanied the procession with the chanting of Antonelli’s Miserere.The procession ended at the Citadella Centre for Culture and Arts.

Chorus Urbanus performed a concert of sacred works for choir and soloists by local and foreign composers, these included Improperia, Crux Fidelis and Attende Domine all by Mro Dr John Galea as well as Bruckner’s Christus Factus Est.

The cultural event was an opportunity to experience an Eastertide of past traditions from Holy Week. A short talk was also given by Claire Borg on typical local recipes that the Gozitans used to eat and still eat during the Holy Week. At the end, all those present had the opportunity to taste some typical local food downed with a hot cup of coffee flavoured with cloves.

Earlier in the day a large group of people went on a tour around the island to visit various displays of sacred statues and the Last Supper Display, better known as ‘Ic-Cena tas-Sinjur, which has been organised by the Nadur Males MUSEUM section.

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