No other festa over Malta and Gozo is like St George’s when it comes to music. There is universal concurrence on this amongst musicians and music lovers. The five days of the festa turn St George’s basilica into a veritable laboratory and theatre of sacred polyphony, a cappella and plainchant; baroque as well as 19th century and contemporary classical music performed in the context of magnificent liturgies.
The focus of the music is concerned mainly with that performed during the festive week – the three days of the solemn Triduum, the Vespers on the vigil of the feast and, obviously, during the solemnity itself on Sunday.
During the Triduum, vespers are celebrated by the Collegiate Chapter and the clergy of the Basilica, while the canto a cappella is, obviously, executed by the Laudate Pueri, Choir of the basilica. The Schola Cantorum Gregoriana, sings the antiphons in plainchant.
Several singers join up for the cantata performed after the Triduum sermon that this year was delivered by Rev. Carl Scerri. The much-awaited hymn, Georgi Miles Inclyte composed in 1878 by Mgr Giuseppe Farrugia (1852–1925) and antiphon, Beatus Georgius, lyrics of St Peter Damian and composed by Paolo Flammingo, are executed by the orchestra, choir and soloists, directed by Rev. Can. George Frendo, maestro di cappella.
On the vigil of the feast, today, July 18, Mgr Farrugia’s vespers, Vespri per la Solennitá di San Giorgio Martire (1900), set for four voices, soloists and orchestra, his Tantum Ergo in onore di San Giorgio Martire (1901), together with both Flammingo’s and the same Mgr Farrugia’s antiphons are executed. For the evening the choir is entirely male and comprises the relative section of the Laudate Pueri with additional voices from the island of Malta, as well as the foreign soloists.
The climax of the sacred music of St George’s feast is reached during the pontifical concelebration on Sunday morning. Then Prof. Joseph Vella’s ‘Mass in D Major’ in honour of St. George – Princeps Martyrum is performed. Female soloists Miriam Cauchi (soprano) joins Antonino Interisano and Louis Andrew Cassar. The orchestra is mostly made up of musicians from the National Orchestra, and, obviously, the Laudate Pueri Choir constitutes the back bone of the chorus. The leader is Dr Maria Frendo.
On Sunday evening, the Second Vespers see the performance of Joseph Vella’s Psalms for the Second Vespers of St. George with the participation of the female section of the Laudate Pueri choir.