After a good breakfast at Porziuncola House, the choristers went to St. Patrick’s Church in Sliema to animate the 10.15am mass. Participating choirs animated various masses around Malta and this at St. Patrick’s was also included in the programme.
The congregation consisted on many parishoners together with many foreign residents who participated actively in the mass. The choir performed the sacred polyphony from the great masters like Palestrina, Bartolucci and from contemporary Portelli.
After mass, the Salesians prepared some refreshements during which the choristers had the opportunity to talk to the attendees. Some of them remember the choir when it performed in the same church during a Christmas Concert about six years ago.
At around noon, the choristers had a Coaching Session at the Catholic Institute in Floriana with Naomi Faran who is a choir conductor and a lecturer from Israel. Ms. Faran listened to the choir singing and gave some effective tips regarding singing techniques. From her teaching one could easily conclude that music is her life and actually that was her conclusion...’you are the music and not you do the music’.
Then finally in the evening the grand moment arrived. The award ceremony was held at the Catholic Institute at 5pm. The soirée started with six foreign choirs giving their performance and later the conductors of all choirs were invited on stage and eventualy prizes were distributed.
Schola Cantorum Jubilate was awarded the Silver Medal Award at Level 10 with a marking of 20.43 in the Category S1 - Sacred Music for mixed choirs. Marouska Attard received the diploma from Mro. Chris Muscat who is the event manager. The choristers were all overjoyed to receive such an acknowledgement. Most of the foreign choirs with whom they competed are professional musicians coming from a well ingrained musical culture and who participated in various festivals at International levels. Schola Cantorum Jubilate was the only Maltese choir which dared compete in such a demanding category.
This award is the result of commitment and hard work from behalf of all the SCJ members and particularly the constant and dedicatated work of Marouska Attard, the director. Last but not least, it is also the input that the newly appointed director Mark Gauci is giving in directing and coaching the choir.
Though SCJ received this award for its own prestige, one must say that it is an honour for Malta and Gozo to have such a choir which takes music studies seriously and professionally and is on par with foreign professional choirs.
Schola Cantorum Jubilate dedicates this Silver Medal Award to a dear friend who gave various Master Classes to the choir, who is always there to support and collaborate – Mgr. Renzo Cilia.
