This time around, Schola Cantorum Jubilate took a new initiative and presented a different concert on Sunday afternoon.
‘Blooming...afternoon tea with SCJ’ consisted of a concert of secular music related to the beauty of nature in this time of the year. This was followed by a refreshing tea party held at Ta’ Frenċ Courtyard.
Attendees were asked to dress in pastel colour or with floral designs and so did the choristers. The aim was to present a colourful and peaceful spring atmosphere. The event florists created lovely floral arrangements and decorated with various tea pots and tea cups so that the ambience was in par with the theme.
The concert included choral pieces that are rather unpopular with the Maltese audience, but it pleased all those who attended. The programme included the madrigal ‘El Grillo’ (De Prez) and ‘As torrents in summer’ (Elgar). Other choral pieces performed were ‘I know a bird’ (Diemer) and ‘For the beauty of the Earth (Rutter).
The male sections, at the very beginning and from among the audience interpreted ‘There has to be a song’ (Ramsey) and a barbershop idiom ‘When I fall in love’ (Young). On the other hand, the ladies’ section in SSAA performed ‘Bloom’ (Silvery) and ‘English Country Garden (Chappell).
The programme included also some solo pieces. Stanley J. Portelli sang Tosti’s ‘Luna d’Estate’ while Marouska Attard interpreted three songs from ‘Kanti Popolari – Żerniq, Għodwa and Logħba’ by Charles Camilleri. The latter were highly appreciated by the audience particularly the locals who felt pride on hearing such lovely pieces in their native language.
Following Marouska’s solos, there was a piano interpretation ‘Colours in Bloom’ by Anne Marie Camilleri. During the 7 minutes of piano improvisations, artist Paul Stellini held a life-painting session which materialised into a modern abstract drawing of blooming colours.
Young and promising pianist Amy Rapa accompanied the choir and the soloists during the concert. Marion Sayers and Sue Scantleburry wrote and interpreted a script which complimented the choir programme and focused on delivering specific messages about the beauty which surrounds us and the uniqueness of the Maltese islands.
Undoubtedly the presentation of ‘Blooming...afternoon tea with SCJ’ was distinct than those presented previously. Who knows, perhaps another spring concert will bloom again!
