This coming Sunday, the Feast of St John Bosco is being celebrated at the Oratorju Don Bosco in Victoria Gozo.
On Saturday, the Vigil of St John Bosco at the Oratorju Don Bosco, starting at 1.30pm, there will be the Don Bosco Football Festival for Children.
Then later, a solemn Mass, will be celebrated by Mgr Paul Cardona, Archpriest of St George's Basilica, which starts at 7.00pm.
The Chorus Urbanus Choir, under the direction of Mro Dr John Calea, will participate in the Mass. This will be followed by a celebration meal at the Hotel Calypso in Marsalforn.
On Sunday, the Solemnity of St John Bosco at Oratorju Don Bosco, starting at 9.00am there will be a solemn Mass celebrated by the Vicar General of the Gozo Diocese Mons. Tarcisio Camilleri, with the participation of the Laudate Pueri Choir under the direction of Can. George Frendo.
This will be followed at 10.00am by a parade of animals and pets from St Francis Square to St Augustine Square, where there will be the blessing given by Mons. Gorg Tabone.
At 5.30pm there is procession with the statue of St John Bosco, led by Mons Guzeppi Attard, Archpriest of the Cathedral, accompanied by the Leone Band on the Procession with the performance of religious hymns.
Then later in the evening, the Gozo Youth Wind Band, within the Gozo Youth Wind Band & Orchestra, will present will present its very popular, annual 'Don Bosco Grand Concert,' to mark the occasion of the Don Bosco Feast, this year the concert is titled `Bands Around the World.'
During this concert new repertoire is being performed following intensive preparations from 50 youths hailing from all over Gozo.
This year music excerpts will feature the best mixage of the vast repertoire performed during the last 14 years of the Youth Band's concerts.
Titles such as: Selection from Bizet's Carmen, Selection from the Musical Evita, Ketelbey's In A Persian Market, tribute Tom Jones in Concert, Film music from Star Wars and Ennio Morricone and finally a medley bearing the concert's title `Bands Around the World,' will form part of the concert programme. The concert comes to an end with the Don Bosco Hymn.
Bands Around the World will be held this coming Sunday, the 31st of January, starting at 7.30pm at the Oratory Don Bosco Theatre, Victoria, Gozo.
The Gozo Youth Wind Band will be under the direction of Founder and Music Director Joseph Grech. Entrance is Free and patrons are kindly requested to be seated 15 minutes before.