History

Schola Cantorum Jubilate, a private youth choir has established itself as one of the affirmed Maltese choirs. It was founded by the actual choir leader, Stefan Attard in August 2000. Though the years, constant musical education progressed and this can be seen in the impressive amount of repertoire and above all in its output. Progressive techniques had been learnt and acquired with a sense of collegiality and commitment. All this implies a lot of sacrifices and at times even difficulties, but Schola Cantorum Jubilate, never looks back. It keeps moving on with its pace.

The members are all youths who come from different sectors in society; some work in accountancy, education, engineering, law or are still university students. However, they are linked through their passion in music. Their director Marouska Attard herself graduate in musicology, violinist and soprano works hard and the success of the choir knows it all to her teaching. She is an energetic talented musician who seeks high performance to amuse the listeners.

Schola Cantorum Jubilate specialize in the sacred polyphony however, their repertoire spans from the Renaissance through the Baroque and the contemporary eras. It includes works by great composers like Palestrina, Victoria, Bach, Mozart, Lotti and also contemporary ones like Kodaly, Perosi, Camilleri, Bartolucci, Attard and Portelli. The last two work closely with the Schola Cantorum.

Looking at their diaries, we find various appointments both in the private or public sectors. Every Sunday they animate the liturgy during the 11am mass at the Basilica of Marija Bambina in Xagħra, Gozo from which the majority hails. On several occasions, the Schola is invited to perform during wedding, baptism or funeral services. Other church services include patron saints feast or special anniversaries. During the main liturgical celebrations like Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or Saturday Easter, the Schola performes at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu in Għarb, Gozo. Other musical appointments include a whole array of concerts in Gozo, Malta or even abroad, with the most recent at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Valletta.

Just to mention a few of the major participations, the Schola Cantorum Jubilate performed in the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell which was part of the BOV Opera Festival in 2005. In the same year, they were the only Maltese choir performing in the Credo in Unum Deum Festival organized by the St. John Co-Cathedral Foundation. They had also launched two Compact Disc – ‘In a Manger' and ‘Jubilate'. The latter includes sacred works which are suitable for the whole liturgical period. They had concerts at St. John's Co-Cathedral in occasion of the Hospice World Palliative Care and at Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar. The most recent one was at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Valletta.

Living on such a small archipelago, Schola Cantorum Jubilate felt the need to extend its popularity and show its talents while venturing through new experiences. In fact their international debut was in November 2003, when they participated in the Festival Rencontres Musicales de Méditerranée in Bastia, Corsica. In Corsica, the choir participated with renowned academies like that of Sta. Cecilia in Rome and Luigi Cherubini in Florence. In September 2007, Schola Cantorum Jubilate organized a music-cultural trip to Rome and Assisi. Apart from visiting the most popular and historical sites, the choir saluted Pope Benedict XVI with ‘Tu es Petrus' (Perosi) in St. Peter's Square. They even animated High Masses at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, at the Basilicas of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and at St. Francis in Assisi. They met Mgr. Domenico Bartolucci (Maestro Perpetuo della Cappella Pontificia Sistina) who donated them his collection of liturgical compositions. They met also actual maestro di cappella of the Sistine Chapel, Mgr. Giuseppe Liberto who composed some pieces specifically for Schola Cantorum Jubilate. Last September, they toured in Austria performing in the most prominent venues like St. Stephen's Cathedral, St. Peter's Church ( Vienna ), the Old Cathedral of Linz, Hellbrunn ( Salzburg ) and the Abbeys of Melk and Göttweig.

Perhaps this choir is mostly known for its production of ‘Carols by Candlelight'. This worldwide tradition of carol singing was introduced in Malta by Schola Cantorum Jubilate in 2003 and since then it became a major Christmas event in Gozo.

‘Cantare amantis est' (singing belongs to the lover)... The choir, with this phrase by St. Augustine in mind, shows its utter depth of love through singing. Music can be well communicated with what is deepest in the singer. Holding such belief, the choir sings to glorify God, to use talents, to enrich the music culture in Malta and to grow musically in a professional way.