From time to time and as the need arises, the Saint Lawrence band club always played and performed Musical Programmes of a special nature. Most often such musical programmes are organised to commemorate and celebrate a special occasion. In fact, this was the case on Sunday 22 November 1987, when the Saint Lawrence Band CLub performed in the Manoel Theatre, in Valletta, on the occasion of the feast of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. For this occasion, the Saint Lawrence Bad Club performed the following musical programme
Symphony | Malta | P. Vassallo |
Musical | Legend of the Glass Mountain | N. Rota |
Sinfonia | Diana | G. Giumarra |
Selection | South Pacific | R. Rodgers |
Fantasia | Capriccio Italiano | P. Tchaikovsky |
Overture | Saul | A. Bazzani |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence Band Club | H.H. Dalli |
Anthem | National Hymn of Malta | R. Sammut |
In the year 1990, when Vittoriosa was celebrating the ninth centenary form the foundation of the Parish dedicated to Saint Lawrence, it was expected that the Saint Lawrence Band Club shall do special musical programme to commemorate such important occasion. This was held on Monday 30th July 1990, where the Saint Lawrence Band Club performed a musical programme in the same church dedicated to its patron saint and played the following music.
Intermezzo | Introduzione | Kan. L. Fenech |
I Lombardi | Alla Prima Crociata | G.Verdi |
Marcia Sinfonica | Lilliana | S. Fabri |
Forza del Destino | Coro Degli Angeli | G. Verdi |
Marcia | Slava | P. Tchaikovsky |
Nabucco | Va Pensiero | G. Verdi |
Sinfonia | Chiara | P. Schembri |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence | H.H. Dalli |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence | L. Galea |
Anthem | Centenary | Kan. L. Mifsud |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence Band Club | H.H. Dalli |
Four years later, precisely in 1994, the Saint Lawrence Band Club, once again, performed another musical programme in the Collegiate and Conventual Church of St Lawrence, this time on the occasion of the 50the anniversary from the pilgrimage which brought back the statue of Saint Lawrence in Vittoriosa after World War II. Also, the society celebrated the inauguration of the artistic banner of the band club. In that program, held on Friday 29 July, the following music was played:
Overture | Saul | A. Bazzini |
Iris | Inno al Sole | P. Mascagni |
Cavalleria Rusticana | Coro delle Arancie | P. Mascagni |
Overture | Pasqua Russa | R. Korsakov |
Ben Hur | Parade of Carioteers | M. Rozsa |
Madame Butterfly | Humming Choir | P. Schembri |
Sinfonia | Chiara | P. Schembri |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence | H.H. Dalli |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence | L. Galea |
Anthem | Saint Lawrence Band Club | H.H. Dalli |
In 2008, on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary from the official foundation of the Saint Lawrence Band Club and the official inauguration of the artistic band stand, the band performed a vocal and instrumental musical programme which is quite memorable. Tenor Brian Cefai, Bass Louis Cassar and the choir Amadeus Chamber Choir participated with the band in this musical programme. This musical programme can be considered memorable since this was the first musical programme held on the inaugurated band stand, and memorable also due to the fact hat people flocked in thousands in Vittoriosa. This musical programme was held on 30 July 2008 and closed the week long festivities c which the Society has organised to commemorate its anniversary. The music performed in this programme was as follows:
Anthem | Saint Lawrence | G. Frendo |
Sinfonia | Inaugural | H.H. Dalli |
Opera | Nabucco – Va Pensiero | G. Verdi |
Opera | Turandot – Nessun Dorma | G. Puccini |
Opera | Coro delle Arancie | P. Mascagni |
Overture | Canena | P. Schembri |
Opera | Iris – Inno Al Sole | P. Mascagni |
Aria | Aida | G. Verdi |
Hymn | Saint Lawrence | H.H. Dalli |
Hymn | Centenary | P. Schembri |
Hymn | Saint Lawrence | L. Galea |
Hymn | Saint Lawrence Band Club | H.H. Dalli |
In the year 2012, the Saint Lawrence Band Club celebrated another important anniversary, the 25th Anniversary from the appointment of Mr Lawrence V. Farrugia as President of the band club. As expected, this important anniversary was also celebrated with the greatest pride and detail by the club. The peak of such festivities was reached on Thursday 2 August, as the bands performed a march and also a musical programme on the society’s artistic band stand. The band march was accompanied by a number of other band clubs, namely because the same year marked the 25th Anniversary of Mr Farrugia’s appointment as President of the Band Clubs Association. The Coro Bel Canto also accompanied the band in the performance of the musical programme, and the following music was played:
Anthem | Saint Lawrence | G. Frendo |
Classic Overture | President’s Jubilee | P. Schembri |
Tenor & Sopran | The Prayer | D. Foster |
Soprano | O Mio Babbino Caro | G. Puccini |
Overture | The Merry Wives of Windsor | O. Nicolai |
Instrumental | Daniel’s Lullaby | D. Sammut |
Choir | Lombardi Prima Crociata | G. Verdi |
Choir | Cavalleria Rusticana | P. Masacagni |
Duet & Choir | Trvaiata – I Brindisi | G. Verdi |
Tenor & Choir | Pomp & Circumstance | E. Elgar |
Tenor, Baritone & Choir | Innu lil San Lawrenz | H. H. Dalli |
Hymn | Centenary | P. Schembri |
Hymn | Saint Lawrence | L. Galea |
Hymn | Saint Lawrence Band Club | H. H. Dalli |
On Saturday 5th September 2015, The Saint Lawrence Band Club, together with the Prince of Wales Own Band Club, performed the first musical programme jointly. This musical programme was performed as part of the activities held to commemorate the 450 anniversary from the Victory in the Great Siege, and was organised by the Local Council. In this historical occasion, the two band clubs of Vittoriosa worked together with the aim of organising a high level musical programme, with the respective Maestros directing this joint band as indicated below:
National Anthem | Robert Sammut | Mro Jonathan Abela |
Alba d’Amore | Giovanni Giumarra | Mro Jonathan Abela |
Die Fledermaus | Johan Strauss | Mro Jonathan Abela |
La Vittoriosa 3za Sinfonia | Rafael Ricci | Mro Emmanuel Spagnol |
Anniversary | Emmanuel Spagnol | Mro Emmanuel Spagnol |
The Provenance | Jonathan Abela | Mro Jonathan Abela |
The Mask of Zorro | James Horner | Mro Emmanuel Spagnol |
Oregon | Jacob de Haan | Mro Jonathan Abela |
Hooked on Classics | Louis Clark | Mro Emmanuel Spagnol |
Vittoriosa Anthem | Emmanuel Spagnol | Mro Emmanuel Spagnol |
On Saturday 28th October 2017, the Saint Lawrence Band held its Annual Musical Programme at the Main Vittoriosa Auditorium. However, this musical programme can be deemed as special since it marked the 30 years Presidency of Lawrence V. Farrugia who has been at the helm of the band club since 1987. During this musical programme, Mr Farrugia received presentations from the Central Committee, Musicians and various friends. The Band which was under the baton of its Musical Director Mro. Jonathan Abela performed a variety of music. Baritone Joseph Lia accompanied the band in two pieces. The musical programme performed was as follows:
Ouverture | French Comedy | Keler Bela |
Funeral March | Of a Marionette | Charles Gounod / Arr. M. C. Meyrelles |
Aria | Di Providenza il Mar | Giuseppe Verdi |
Tone Poem | The Provenance | Jonathan Abela |
Symphonic Suite | Harry Potter | John Williams / Arr. Robert W. Smith |
Concert Piece | Abracadabra | Frank Ticheli |
Concert Piece | Acclamations | Ed Huckeby |
Medley | The Godfather Saga | Nino Rota / Arr. Marcel Peeters |
Medley | Pixar Movie Magic | Arr. Michael Brown |
Medley | Canta Napoli | Fernando Francia |
Hymn | Banda San Lawrenz | Hector H. Dalli |
On Wednesday 6 June 2018, the Saint Lawrence Band CLub organised its annual Musical Programme, which was baptised as Birgu Spring Concert. However, this first edition of the Birgu Spring Concert can be deemed as special since it commemorated the 135 years anniversary from the foundation of the Saint Lawrence Band Club. In addition, this musical programme was held in Fort Saint Angelo, in the most upper part in the residency of Fra John Edward Cretien. The Saint Lawrence Band Club performed music of high quality, including brand new pieces composed by the Maestro and resident musician Andrew Zarb. The Saint Lawrence Band CLub was under the baton of Mro Jonathan Abela and Assistant Director Mro Francois Borg and performed the following music pieces:
Concerto | Sedona | Steven Reineke |
Tone Poem | Saint Angelo | Jonathan Abela |
Operah | Nabucco | Giuseppe Verdi / Arr. Franco Cesarini |
Leħen Rebbieħ | Awl il-Birgu, Eliġija u Tama | Andrew Zarb |
Waltz | Emperor Waltz | Johann Strauss / Arr. T. Conway Brown |
Concerto | Air for Band | Frank Erickson |
Movie Theme | Back to the Future | Alan Silvestri / Arr. Frank Bernaerts |
Musical | Mary Poppins | Richard Sherman & Robert Sherman, Arr. Irwin Kostal |
Hymn | Banda San Lawrenz | Hector H. Dalli |
Undoubtedly, the day of 1st August 2021 will remain for a long time imprinted in the mind and hearts of the people of Vittoriosa. After all the years since the end of World War II, where the dome of the church had collapsed due to war bombings, the painting of the dome of the Saint Lawrence Church of Vittoriosa has been inaugurated. The painting represents the Victory of the Great Siege of Malta, and has been painted by artist Manuel Buhagiar. Of course, such unique occasion was marked by the Saint Lawrence Band Club through a Musical Concert. In fact, the Saint Lawrence Band Club, in the form of an orchestra, and in front of a jam packed audience in the church, was accomapanied by Tenors Alan Sciberras u Charles Vella Zarb, Sopranos Gabrielle Portelli u Alison Gatt and also Bass Ivan Vella. The Saint Lawrence Band performed a number of musical pieces where some of them were composed for this particular occasion. This musical concert was organised together with the Archpriest and Parish priests of the Saint Lawrence Church, where Can. Karm Busuttil also donated and paid for all expenses related to the painting of the dome. This Concert was under the patron of H.E. Charles J. Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta, and was streamed live by V-SL Media.
Salve Regina No 1 (Basso) | Lorenzo Galea |
Let There Be Light | Jonathan Abela |
Nessun Dorma | Giacomo Puccini |
Thinking of Living back the Normal Life | Andrew Zarb |
Once Upon a Time in the West | Ennio Morricone |
La Boheme – Quando m’en vo’ soletta | Giacomo Puccini |
Dein ist mein ganzes Herz | Franz Lehar |
E Piu ti Penso | Ennio Morricone |
Antifona Levita Laurentius | Kan. Luigi Fenech |
Saint Lawrence’s Hymn | Lorenzo Galea |
The Year 2022 marked the celebration year of the 100th Anniversary from the acquisition of Palazzo Huesca, seat of the Saint Lawrence Band Club. In view of this, the central committee of the Saint Lawrence Band Club prepared a Programme of festivities around this date to mark such important commemoration, and without any doubt, a musical concert was also included. In fact, on Saturday 16 July 2022, a musical – vocal concert was held in the Church of Saint Lawrence, where the Saint Lawrence Band Club was accompanied by the voices of the Amadeus Chamber Choir led by Tenor Brian Cefai. During this concert, the band also played once again the Special Hymn of Saint Lawrence, a musical composition of ex band director Hector H. Dalli, who had composed and played the Hymn for the first time exactly 50 years ago, in 1952. The Saint Lawrence Band Club, under the baton of Mro. Jonathan Abela, performed the following music pieces:
Regina Coeli | Pietro Mascagni | Arr. Chris Pisani |
Hallelujah | Leonard Cohen | Arr. Michael Brown |
Bolero | Maurice Ravel | Arr. Jay Bocook |
Hymn to Freedom | Oscar Peterson | Arr. Robert Buckley |
Flying Throughout the Years | Jonathan Abela | |
Ecstasy of Gold | Ennio Morricone | Arr. Lorenzo Bocci |
Special Hymn to Saint Lawrence | Hector H. Dalli | |
Hymn of Saint Lawrence | Lorenzo Galea | |
Hymn of Saint Lawrence Band Club | Hector H. Dalli |
During the year 2023, the Saint Lawrence Band Club celebrated the 140th Anniversary from its foundation. At the same time, the year 2023 marked the 100 year anniversary of when the National Anthem of Malta was played for the first time int he Manoel Theatre under the baton of Mro Giuseppe Frendo by the Societa` Mandolinistica Melita of Vittoriosa, which formed part of the H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Band. The Saint Lawrence Band Club commemorated this important anniversary with a special concert held in the Archeology Museum in Valletta on Friday 3 February 2023, which is the exact date when the National Anthem was played for the first time 100 years earlier. For this occasion, which was held under the patriarchy of H.E. Dr George Vella, President of Malta, the original music parts including the score, of the National anthem were displayed accordingly. The Band was under the baton of Mro Jonathan Abela and played several music pieces as per below, and was joined occasionally by Tenor Alan Sciberras and singer Jasmine;
Overture | A Jubilant Overture | Alfred Reed |
Occasion Music | Unity and Prosperity | Jonathan Abela |
Opera | E Lucevan le Stelle | Giacomo Puccini |
Symphonic Band Composition | The Witch and the Saint | Steve Reineke |
Religious | Ave Maria | Giulio Caccini |
Brindisi Duet | Selection La Traviata | Giuseppe Verdi |
Jazz | Caravan | Naohiro Iwai |
Movies Medley | Morricone Portrait | Roland Kernen |
Song | Canto Della Terra | Lorenzo Pusceddu |
Hymn | St. Lawrence Band’s Hymn | Hector H. Dalli |
Hymn | National Anthem of Malta | Robert Sammut |