This weeks 7th of August 2012 edition of The Maltese Herald Gozo section is now available for download by clicking here

Previous editions are also available by clicking on this link.

This weeks articles in the PDF download are:

1. Dr Samuel Azzopardi, Mayor of Victoria and President Gozo Region as member of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and rapporteur presented his opinion during the plenary session of the the Committee of the Regions (CoR) taking place between the 18th and 19th July 2012. The opinion is entitled ‘EU Financial Instruments in Home Affairs.’

This opinion deals with the proposed budgets for irregular migration, asylum, EU security, and the combatting against terrorism and organised crime. These new financial instrument provide a simplified procedure which is expected to be more practical and result in higher efficiency.

The proposed changes will bring greater transperency in the use of the allocated funds and higher visibility for the proposals, projects and achieved results together with the help of local and regional authorities. Dr Azzopardi stressed, ” It is important to always keep in mind that behind the insturments we enact are human lives that need to be proctected from all sorts of hazards security risks.”

Cecilia Malmstrom, European Commissioner for Home Affairs in her address to the plenary, thanked Dr Azzopardi for this balanced and comprehensive approach adopted in his opinion. The opinion was approved by unanimity. The expert nominated for this opinion was Dr Andrew Galea Debono.

2. During July, preparations were well underway to welcome Mro Marco de Gaspari, the maestro concertatore of the Coro del Teatro alla Scala forthe “Choral Workshop and Vocal Masterclasses” project organised by the Chorus Urbanus Productions, the first workshop of the kind to be ever held in the Maltese Islands.

The project was partially supported by the Malta Arts Fund and took place from Monday 16th July to Wednesday 25th July, at the Gozo Ministry Hall.

On Tuesday 24th July, the penultimate session of the Masterclasses was held, organised by the Chorus Urbanus Productions team and the general public was invited to attend and follow this session.

In a note of thanks, Dr John Galea congratulated Mro de Gaspari for the professionality with which he conducted these sessions. “We are sure that huge benefits have been reaped by each individual member as well as by the choir as a whole. The masterclasses tackled various aspects of singing technique and stylistic interpretations of different periods. Case studies of our music director’s sacred music were also undertaken.”

On the last day of the masterclasses, secretary George Borg presented Mro de Gaspari with a Gozo Boat Silver Filigree memento to mark this historical initiative.

Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo, also visited the Masterclasses and was introduced to Mro De Gaspari by Vice-President George Borg Jnr. The Minister was full of praise for this worthy initiative where perseverance of excellence in artistic standards is a constant factor sought by our musical director, Dr John Galea.

3. Recently the Rector of the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary Fr Gerard Buhagiar, along with his brothers, the priests, Father Anthony Attard, Fr Alex Refalo and Fr Michael Xuereb, celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass on their twenty-five years from their presbiterial ordination.

With them was also ordered Fr Anthony Zammit, who is now a missionary in Peru. They were ordered priests Mgr. Bishop Nikol G. Cauchi on 27 June 1987 at the Cathedral. For this Mass , Father George Camilleri S.J. , uncle of Fr Gerard, joined them, since this year celebrates the fiftieth anniversary from his ordination, in the Society of Jesus. Fr Camilleri, spent 45 years as a missionary in India.

Photo – Mro Marco de Gaspari, the maestro concertatore of the Coro del Teatro alla Scala forthe “Choral Workshop and Vocal Masterclasses” project organised by the Chorus Urbanus Productions.

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