50 Years Young: Joseph Vella’s Mass in D op. 20

Temporary Exhibition

This year the evergreen and much-loved Mass in D by Joseph Vella celebrates the 50^th anniversary from when it was composed in August 1975, with a first performance at St George’s Basilica in July 1976.  After Rev. George Frendo’s First High Mass at the same Basilica, accompanied by the premiere of the Laudate Pueri Dominum cantata, both Mass in D and this cantata have had an uninterrupted performance history during the St George’s Feast Pontifical High Mass.  The magnificent Mass in D is known all over the islands, with festa aficionados and professional musicians flocking to St George’s Basilica on the third Sunday of July to be entranced during its performance in the liturgy.  This Mass has also had significant concert performances in Malta as well as at New York’s Lincoln Centre, where it was received with tremendous enthusiasm by patrons.

Joseph Vella (1942-2018)

Joseph Vella is one of Gozo’s foremost illustrious citizens, who is well known as both composer and conductor. He is also remembered for his pioneering work in and research of old Maltese music as well as for his work as an Inspector of Music in Government Schools. He was the director of the Johann Strauss School of Music in Malta for a number of years, and he was the first academic in Malta who introduced music at tertiary level at St Michael’s College. He was also Professor of Music at the University of Malta. Mro Vella was the first Artistic Director of the Victoria International Arts Festival and Festival Mediterranea, and for almost 50 years he was the musical director of both the Teatru Astra and the La Stella Philharmonic Band in Victoria. He donated his life work, including manuscripts, documents, juvenilia, mementoes and CDs to Il-Ħaġar Museum and Cultural Centre the same weekend that he passed away in February 2018.