The first concert in the series Cirku9Grajja – is this Saturday, and will be celebrating Christmas with Schola Cantorum Jubilate (SCJ) amidst the magnificence of the National Shrine of Ta’ Pinu in Gozo.

Saturday’s concert will feature soloists from SCJ accompanied by the BrassTubes, with both the audience and musicians in circular formation. The circle signifies the womb that brings life into the world and an infinite life cycle where every living organism, however tiny, has an impact on an evolving world.

This will be followed by Disgha on Saturday, the 18th of December. Featuring the SCJ Children’s Choir and the SCJ Teenage Boys singers, Disgha is inspired by the British tradition of the Nine Readings and Carols and based on the nine-month wait. For each reading, the audience will also have the opportunity to listen to a child’s take on the world surrounding them.

The concert series culminates with Grajja on Tuesday, the 28th of December. Schola Cantorum Jubilate, accompanied by the Cordia String Quartet will look back on Herod’s Massacre of the Innocents, juxtaposed against the Magnum Mysterium.

The choir explained that Cirku9Grajja is a series of three concerts, each with its own unique setting, choristers and musicians.

Each celebrates Christmas and the traditions tied to it, colouring the season with vibrant music and joyful carols while also providing opportunities for deep thinking through the verses and thoughts accompanying the music.

“Our aim is to provide an unforgettable acoustic experience to both the choristers and the attendees,” explains SCJ’s Artistic Director, Stefan Attard.

“We try to be as innovative as possible in the concerts we organise to keep the audience eager and for them to interact with the new concepts presented. We’re fully aware that time is precious for everyone and that a concert experience has to enrich the audience, both on a personal and community level,” he continued.

This year’s venue will surely add to this, with Ta Pinu’s unique architecture providing the perfect environment for the audience to reflect and immerse itself in this concert experience. “We will be presenting a special repertoire involving 70 choristers and musicians,” says Marouska Attard, SCJ’s Choral Director.

Attard said that the repertoire includes popular Christmas classics, some of which have been specifically arranged for this concert, new compositions as well as experimentation with different instruments. She added that, “Christmas is highly associated with choirs, and since our inception, SCJ has worked tirelessly to present unique choral projects. This year is no different.”

To reserve a free ticket for the concert(s) of your choice via booking.scjchoir.com, by sending an email on booking@scjchoir.com or by calling the ticket hotline: 79450950. There are limited seats available so reservations will be taken on a first-come-first-served basis.

To ensure the health and safety of all, the organisers will adhere to all social distancing measures and to Health Authority directives.

Cirku9Grajja is being performed in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo.

Set up in the year 2000, Schola Cantorum Jubilate has established itself as one of the ”affirmed choirs in Malta.”

Schola Cantorum Jubilate said that it is committed to ”enrich the local choral scene with a high level of choral artistry; with vocal technique and musicology that lead to professional singers; as well as a drive to support the growth of choristers with enriching life experiences for the heart and mind, with particular attention given to emerging artists.”

Follow Schola Cantorum Jubilate on Facebook, Instagram and www.scjchoir.com for updates on upcoming events.

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