Organist Joseph Caruana is bringing a special performance to the annual ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ festival.
Caruana will be playing a set composed of sacred music on the organ of the Church of St Catherine in Żejtun, on Saturday, 29th September, at 8pm.
The programme for ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ Organ Concert includes the following pieces, which are renowned for their complexity:
- ‘Prelude’ and ‘Fugue’ in E Minor (wedge) BWV548 by J.S. Bach
- Choral ‘WO SOLL ICH FLIEHEN HIN’ (BWW 646) by J.S. Bach
- ‘Grand Choeur’ for Organ by Zsolt Gardonyi
- ‘Tuba Tune’ in D Major Op. 15 by C.S. Lang
- ‘Introduction’ and ‘Passacaglia‘ in D Minor by Max Reger
- ‘Priere‘ by Luigi Fenech
- Finale from ‘1st Symphony’, Op. 14 by Louis Vierne
The concert, which is being held during the annual ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ festival, is just one of the many activities taking place during this popular local event that takes place over multiple days in September.
Entrance if free of charge but places are limited. Although no previous booking is required, timeliness is recommended to avoid disappointment.
About the annual ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ festival
The popular ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ festival is held in Żejtun every September to celebrate the olive picking season.
The festival’s name and birthplace share a special linguistic connection: the name of the village of Żejtun, in its original Semitic connotation, signifies the Maltese word “żejt” (oil) and is associated with the fruit of the olive trees and the cultivated olive tree. These elements are synonymous with the Mediterranean and have been popular since biblical times.
As the place name indicates, olive tree cultivation and its by-products were a prime activity in the South Coast of Malta in the Punic and Roman era, with Żejtun at its centre. Over the years, especially with the Arab occupation of Malta at the end of the first millennium, cotton gradually replaced the olive tree. In recent years, olive tree cultivation, olive pressing for oil and its association with the healthy Mediterranean diet, have made a comeback. ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ celebrates and commemorates all this.
The festival features plenty of activities for residents and tourists, including music performances, local olive oil tasting, historical re-enactments, special open days, and much more!
The ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ Organ Concert is organised by Joseph Caruana and the Żejtun Local Council and supported by the Valletta 2018 Foundation.
For more information about the ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ Organ Concert and the ‘Żejt iż-Żejtun’ festival 2018, follow the Żejtun Local Council‘s Facebook page and website.