Gaulitana: A Festival of Music is drawing to a close with a series of live public events, starting on Friday, the 10th of September.

The organisers said that these live events for the 14th edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music will be held in full compliance with the health and safety regulations issued by the health authorities.

“GauLive” will conclude on the 9th of October, “and intends to give some much-needed breath to live, yet safe performing,” the organisers said.

This series opens on Friday, September 10, with a quite atypical concert at the Ministry for Gozo’s Courtyard. Entitled “Nostalgija,” this features the Gaulitanus Choir, its soprano soloists, Anna Bonello, Patricia Buttigieg, Stephanie Portelli and Annabelle Zammit, violinist Pierre Louis Attard and pianist Milica Lawrence in a number of Maltese compositions ingrained in local traditions.

The second concert is a “world-class event.” Internationally-renowned musician Wayne Marshall will be giving a much-expected organ recital in Gozo for the first time. This will be held at the Xewkija Rotunda on Saturday, the 18th of September.

Then on Friday, the 24th of September, the Armed Forces of Malta Band returns with a public concert in Gozo after a long absence. Under the direction of Captain Jonathan Borg, they will present a very varied open-air concert again at the Ministry for Gozo’s Courtyard.

The Gaulitanus Choir itself is back on Saturday. the 2nd of October with a wholly choral concert of sacred music, “Songs of Praise.”

The Choir said that the occasion is a unique one as the choir will be interpreting numbers in the English language specifically arranged for the choir (mostly by its founder-director Colin Attard) over the years and, so far, interpreted only by the Gaulitanus Choir.

The last week of the festival then features two concerts, both linked with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. An MPO’s chamber ensemble will give a very intimate concert on Tuesday, the 5th of October, whereas the whole orchestra will be in attendance for the symphonic finale on Saturday, the 9th of October. The latter, being held at the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, will be the MPO’s first full-scale appearance in Gozo since 2019.

Conducted by Gaulitana artistic director, Colin Attard, the main item will be Beethoven majestic Symphony No. 3, the “Eroica.” This will not only, finally albeit forcibly belatedly, commemorate Beethoven 250th birth celebrations, but also provide a fitting tribute to all who has played their part during the past very challenging year and a half.

Not least, it will be a most fitting close to a 14th edition of “Gaulitana: A Festival of Music.”

All concerts start at 8pm. The limited seating is strictly by reservation on bookings.gaulitana@gmail.com

Gaulitana: A Festival of Music is principally supported by the Gozo Cultural Support Programme of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo.

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