Teatru Manoel presents The Valletta International Baroque Ensemble VIBE in a Christmas Concert on Thursday 21st December at 8 pm at St Gregory’s Church, a unique 15th Century church on the outskirts of Zejtun.
It has now been five years since VIBE was founded and this will be its first Christmas Performance. The concert will be directed by Marco Mencoboni one of the leading interpreters of early music and vice president of REMA, Réseau Européen de Musique Ancienne (Early Music Association of Europe). Mro Mencoboni is currently conducting monthly masterclasses in Malta in the interpretation of the music of Claudio Monteverdi.
The concert programme consists of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata BWV 51 “ Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen”( Exult in God in everyland) , for soprano, trumpet, strings and continuo. This cantata has been described by Bach scholars as one of “overflowing Jubilation and radiant beauty”
This is followed by Arcangelo Corelli’s: Concerto Grosso Op 6 no 8 in G Minor “Fatto per la notte di Natale”, commonly known as the Christmas Concerto which is far and away Corelli’s best known work.
The concert ends in a performance of the “ Messa Pastorale” by Benigno Zerafa, a renowned Maltese priest-composer of sacred music, who served as Maestro di Cappella at St Paul’s Cathedral Mdina from 1744 to 1786. Typical of masses composed for the Christmas period, the music is delightfully lilting with almost dancelike melodic lines which will certainly help celebrate the season of goodwill. This concert will prove to be an experience definitely not to be missed.
Tickets for A Christmas Concert cost €20, and can be purchased from www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, by phone 2124 6389 or email bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt.
