Malta Tour

Friday 15th February saw the departure of 32 pupils and 5 staff for the annual choir tour. Visiting the Maltese islands, the choir would give two concerts and sing the evening Mass at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. In a change to previous years, the warm weather and outdoor nature of this trip provided pupils with the opportunity to visit the Neo-lithic temples of Hagar Qim, the Citadella in Victoria and a harbour cruise around the bays and inlets of Valletta and Sliema Harbours. On Saturday 16th February, there was time to visit the Malta at War Museum and Lascaris War Rooms which gave the tour party a detailed insight into the history of these pivotal islands in the Mediterranean whilst Abigail and Mr Stafford were able to spread the news of the tour to the local population courtesy of a live interview with Maltese television! Saturday evening would see the choir sing Mass at St. John’s Co-Cathedral and with wonderful hospitality, we were treated to a private viewing of Caravaggio’s ‘The beheading of St John the Baptist’, one of the finest pieces of Art in the world. The first concert of the tour would be given at St Paul’s Cathedral in the medieval town of Mdina, and the choir greatly enjoyed singing in this wonderful acoustic to an appreciative audience! Monday saw the touring party visit the island of Gozo, travelling the short distance by ferry. With a concert at lunchtime, we visited the iconic fort in the centre of Victoria which gave wonderful panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The venues for the concerts and mass were simply stunning with the splendour and decoration of these Baroque inspired buildings living long in the memory of those who toured.