Vox Dulcis Chorale is presenting the sixth edition of its annual Women’s Day Concert at the Malta Society of Arts, Valletta, on March 6.
The 22-strong choir will perform a mix of jazz, musical theatre and film and contemporary songs.
“This time round, I included some songs with a Latin jazz flavour, such as Waters of March and Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing,” choir director John Anthony Fsadni says.
“There are also musical theatre and film numbers, including two songs by Stephen Schwartz and choral adaptations of songs from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,” he adds, without going into further detail to keep an element of surprise.
Vox Dulcis Chorale was formed in 2017 and made its debut at Birgu By Candlelight that same year. Its repertoire is varied and includes anything from medieval to pop music.
“Over these last eight-and-a-half years we have performed pieces by classical composers as well as contemporary songwriters, and explored ethnic, as well as Maltese folk music.
“We sing frequently in church services, so have built a repertoire of sacred songs, and we have premiered several compositions by Maltese composers as well,” Fsadni adds.
Preparations
He admits that preparing for an event such as the Woman’s Day Concert can be quite challenging, starting from the choice of programme.
“First, I try to find a balance between music that I like and what sounds good with the choir. Therefore, in a sense, I rely on my musical taste, but there is still a lot of research involved. Then I choose those pieces that work well together to build a coherent yet varied programme,” Fsadni notes.
“I included songs with a Latin jazz flavour”
Rehearsals can also be an issue.
“All members have other commitments, so finding a common time to rehearse is not always easy, especially when we need extra slots to put on a concert such as this one. The repertoire itself can also be quite challenging as well, singing in different languages and various musical idioms.”
Other events
Beyond the Women’s Day Concert, Vox Dulcis Chorale is committed throughout the year, and like other choirs, performs in Easter and Christmas services, as well as weddings. However, it also has its own particular projects and aims.
“This March we will premiere three songs by Tano Monsigneur based on lyrics by the late Gozitan poet Mary Meilak in an event organised by Akkademja tal-Malti to commemorate her,” Fsadni shares.
“We are also focusing on baroque repertoire this year: Bach, Händel and other composers. We are doing this both to develop our general repertoire but also because we are planning a concert of sacred baroque music in Valletta in October.”
Tickets for the March 6 concert are available from showhappening.com. For more information about the choir, visit its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.