On Friday the third edition of the Gaulitana: A Festival of Music continued with the performance of the excellent Emma Darling “The Art of Longing” concert at the Exhibition Hall in St. Francis Square. This concert which was very well received by the audience started at 8.00pm.
Miss Darling sung movements by Handel, Mozart, Brahms, Copland, Puccini, Strauss, Granados, Faure and Quilter. Miss Darling sung these pieces in the original i.e. in English, German, Spanish and Italian with – It must be said – very good pronounciation. Miss Darling, who also did the introduction to each piece, also performed two world premiers: these were two songs written especially for her by Mro. David Bedford.
Miss Darling not only sang but also acted each piece on the small stage at the end of the exhibition hall. She was accompanied by Mro Stephen Attard, the choir’s organist.
Miss Darling’s excellent voice and intonation was very well received by the appreciative audience and received one of the longest applauses ever. She was ‘forced’ to perform an encore “Summer Time” from Porky & Bess and at the end got such an applause that she had to get on stage three times and eventually shoo the audience home.
This was the penultimate concert in this year’s festival. The final concert will be performed by the Gaulitanus Choir at the Palazzo Palina at Ta’ Cenc Hotel this Sunday, the 3rd of May 2009 at 8.00pm. the choir will be singing choral selections from various musicals, featuring the choir, guest soprano Emma Darling and the choir’s soloists. The concert has a free admission.
This concert will be followed by an After-Concert Buffet in the Conference Hall at the same hotel, for which there is a fee of €18.