The gloriously golden east end of Mdina’s Cathedral – a wonderful backdrop for our performance.
SING GLORIOUS MALTA!: 15–18 APRIL 2026 – St JULIANS & MDINA
There was some apprehension prior to our Malta trip that Europe’s new Entry-Exit System (EES) would cause long delays. In the end, both our entry into Malta and our departure were uneventful. In the words of Steve Micallef from the Maltese tour management company (Gen Events): ‘We in Malta are known for our organisation and efficiency’. We were most grateful!
It takes a while to grasp the volume of traffic on this tiny island until you remember how densely populated it is, coupled with the lack of trains. Our wonderful colleagues from Specialised Travel tweaked the timings here and there and kept us on schedule.
After settling in to our very well-appointed hotel, we made our way to the Ballroom for our first rehearsal. Conductor Manvinder Rattan was keen to get us into vocal shape with games and exercises before we even opened our scores. A few of the warm-ups were familiar, but Manvinder had his own take even on traditional exercises, and we were introduced to several vocal tricks which were new to most of us. With voices thoroughly ‘warmed up’, we first tackled Vivaldi’s Gloria – a work well known to most participants.
Karl Jenkins’ Gloria is not yet a repertoire piece, having been given its world premiere by TRBC at the Royal Albert Hall less than 20 years ago. Nevertheless, singers had clearly done their homework, resulting in a very credible and energetic performance in spite of limited rehearsal. For Malta, we commissioned a smaller orchestration to match the instrumentation of the Vivaldi. The reduced forces, coupled with judicious use of the organ (played by Andrew Parnell who also accompanied our rehearsals), still made an impact in the reverberant acoustic of St Paul’s Cathedral in the ancient and very beautiful walled city of Mdina. The work requires a lot of stamina from the choir, especially from the sopranos! Several people commented on Manvinder’s ‘extremely clear and easy to follow conducting style’, which helped with the sometimes tricky rhythms.
Our orchestra was the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble, led by Sarah Spiteri. As one might expect from their name, they played the Vivaldi very stylishly. They also let their hair down and played with much panache for the modern piece. Our two soloists were soprano Emily Owen and mezzo-soprano Lydia Shariff. Their enjoyment in the Vivaldi solos – notably in the duet – was evident, and they also provided some rare moments of repose amongst Karl Jenkins’ robust choral writing.
The audience showed their appreciation not only with applause but also by donating over €1,100 to local charity Inspire at the close of the concert.
Click here to view an album of photos from the trip, and a big ‘thank you’ to members of the choir who have added their own pictures, especially those taken on the excursions. We hope they remind you of a very special island.
Feedback for Sing Glorious Malta! from our singers:
‘We had a great time in Malta with the opportunity to perform some very fine music in such a glorious setting!’ (Andrew F)
‘Malta really was a great sing and my thanks for the opportunity.’ (Judith C.)
‘Thank you – that was a wonderful trip!’ (Alison C.)