The Nativitas Choir, belonging to the Victory Philharmonic Band of Xaghra, is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its foundation. The choir was founded in June 1999 with the initiative of the then President of the same Band, Mr. Michael Cini, and under the direction of Seminarian Michael Curmi, at present a priest who is carrying his pastoral duty in Italy.

Since 1999, this choir has participated in several activities, ranging from concerts by the Victory Philharmonic Society to masses in many churches around Gozo.

The choir has numerous activities in which to participate in the coming days when the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As everyone knows, this is the greatest feast in the liturgical calendar since it reminds us of our Salvation through Jesus’ Cross.

The choir will begin its activities in connection with the Holy Week on Tuesday, the 31st of March 2009 (a national holiday). Between 3.00pm and 7.00pm, all the members of the Nativitas choir will gather in the hall beneath the Sanctuary of Our Lady “Ta’ Pinu”, where a Lenten Retreat will take place. The theme chosen for this retreat is “The Liturgy of the Paschal Triduum with regards to singing” (in Maltese, Il-Kant fil-Liturgija tat-Tridu Imqaddes ta’ l-Ghid.) The meditations will be led by Rev. Ignatius Borg, Parish Priest of Saint Lawrence Parish (Gozo). These moments of reflection will come to an end by the recitation and meditation of the Via Crucis and Holy Mass on T’Ghammar Hill.

On Sunday, the 5th of April 2009, the Church around the world begins the Holy Week by the celebration of Palm Sunday; the commemoration of Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem. Rev. George Attard OFM Conv., Guardian of the Franciscan Community in Victoria, invited the choir Nativitas to participate in the solemn liturgy of this Sunday. At 9.15am there will be the procession with the Cross in Saint Francis’ Square and soon afterwards, exactly at 9.30am, a Solemn Concelebrated Mass begins in Saint Francis’ Church.

Following the success which the choir had during the special feasts in honour of Saint Paul in Marsalforn last January, Rev. Can. Michael Borg, Rector of the community, invited the Nativitas Choir to take part in all the celebrations in connection with the Paschal Triduum. Thus, on Thursday, the 9th of April, Maundy Thursday, the day in which the Catholic Church commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper, the choir will animate the Liturgy in Saint Paul’s Church in Marsalforn. The Solemn Concelebrated Mass begins at 6.00pm and includes the presentation of Holy Oils (consecrated in the morning by H.E. Bishop Mario Grech in the Gozo Cathedral Church), the washing of the feet (symbolizing the rite made by Jesus itself during the Last Supper) and finally, at the end of the mass, the solemn translation of the Holy Eucharist to the Altar of Reposition.

During this celebration, the Nativitas choir will perform the Gregorian Mass “Missa De Angelis” and other sacred hymns. From the beginning of Mass till the Gloria in Excelsis Deo, the organ will be solemnly played expressing the joy of this ‘Eucharistic’ feast par excellence. From the Gloria of Maundy Thursday till the Gloria of the Easter Vigil, the organ will be played as background only (to accompany the religious hymns) and several pieces will be performed a cappella as the Liturgy itself implies.

On Friday, the 10th of April, Good Friday, the Nativitas Choir has two services. The first one will take place in Saint Paul’s Church in Marsalforn and begins at 4.00pm. It is an old tradition in the Church that on Good Friday, no masses are celebrated. The altars are bare symbolizing the Church’s mourning for the death of her ‘groom’. All flags on public places, residential houses and church buildings fly at half-mast to express grief and sorrow for the Death of Our Saviour. The bells and all musical instruments are silent. In other words, silence should characterise this day in which simplicity and complexity meet.

The only service to be celebrated during this day is the ‘Azzjoni Liturgika’ (Liturgical Action) which includes the Liturgy of the Word, the Universal Prayer, the Veneration of the Cross and the Holy Eucharist Distribution to the congregation. During the service which (as already mentioned above) begins at 4.00pm, the choir will perform some pieces only, namely the responsorial psalm (Missier, nerhi ruhi f’idejk), sacred motets during the veneration of the cross (including a new hymn to the Cross composed by Assistant Director Ivan Attard) and a religious hymn during the distribution of the Eucharist. As it is the custom on this day since the Nativitas’ Choir foundation back in 1999, the choir gives tribute to the Statue of the Crucifixion (Luigi Guacci, Lecce, 1914) as it moves from the Collegiate-Basilica of Maria Bambina (Xaghra) and heads its way along the main streets of Xaghra for the most renowned Good Friday procession (pageant) in Gozo. The Choir sings the popular hymn “Lil Gesu’ Imsallab”, composed by Mro. Vincenzo Ciappara, accompanied by the Victory Philharmonic Band under the direction of Mro. Joseph Galea LCM. (The procession leaves the Basilica at 6.00pm.)

On Saturday, the 11th of April, Easter Saturday, the Nativitas Choir will animate the Liturgy of Easter Vigil in Saint Paul’s Church in Marsalforn. The solemn liturgy begins at 8.00pm and will be presided by Rev. Can. Michael Borg, Rector of the community. This is the most important celebration in the Liturgical Calendar since the Church commemorates with great joy the transition/passage from death to life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The liturgy begins with the lighting of the Easter Candle (in Maltese, blandun) from the new fire blessed outside the church. The Solemn Proclamation of Easter, namely the Exultet, will be sung according to the solemnity of the day’s Liturgy. Seven Readings from the Old Testament follow and soon afterwards, Rev. Can. Michael Borg intones the Gloria in Excelsis Deo. At this moment, the bells of the church and the organ which were silent from Maundy Thursday burst their joy for Christ’s Resurrection. The mass continues with the blessing of the new water, the Liturgy of Baptism and the Liturgy of Holy Eucharist. During this Easter celebration, the Nativitas Choir will perform the Missa Cantate Domino by Mro. Giuseppe Oltrasi, several responsorial psalms, acclamations and religious hymns.

The Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum come to a grand finale on Sunday, 12th April 2009, the Solemnity of Jesus’ Resurrection; the ‘solemnity of all solemnities.’ At 9.30am, the Nativitas choir participates in the Solemn Easter Mass in Saint Francis’ Church Victoria. The Holy Mass will be presided by Rev. George Attard OFM Conv., Guardian of the Franciscan Community. At around 11.00am, the members of the choir together with the Central Administration and bandsmen of the Victory Philharmonic Society of Xaghra gather in the club’s premises in Maria Bambina Street to exchange Easter greetings.

In all these occasions, the Nativitas Choir will be under the direction of Mrs. Silvana Agius and Assistant Director and choir’s official organist Ivan Attard. Mrs. Silvana Agius is studying music harmony and Ivan Attard is studying to obtain an ATCL Diploma in Solo Piano Performance and A.MusTCL Diploma in Theory of Music, with specialisation in harmony, orchestration and counterpoint.

As one can see, the Nativitas choir will have several activities in which to participate in relation to the Holy Week. They would like to invite everyone to take part in these celebrations to enjoy the Liturgy’s Solemnity during these special and important days.

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