The JP2 Cultural Foundation in full collaboration with the Gozo Cathedral, St Dominic Basilica Valletta and Our Lady of Sorrow’s Parish Church, St. Paul’s Bay, are hosting a choir from the United Kingdom, The Paston Singers.
The Paston Singers were formed by David Ballard, originally operating under the name Cantores Sancti Nicolai, in recognition of a parish church dedicated to St Nicholas they were associated with. Paston refers to a grammar school in North Walsham, Norfolk, UK which later became a sixth form college, founded by Sir William Paston in 1606. He was a member of the Paston family who gave their name to the Paston Letters, one of the most important pieces of primary source information for historians studying the English gentry between 1422 and 1509, covering the War of the Roses, the early Tudor period and, the Great Vowel Shift. Many of the lower voiced members of the group sang the premiere performance of a composition by Sarah Rogers entitled Agnes: A Pocket Oratorio using texts from these letters for the Paston: 600 celebrations in 2018, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
The group has performed previous concert tours to Spain (where they sang at the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona and acted as the warm-up act for the boys choir at Montserrat Abbey), Portugal and Yorkshire. They have given premiere performances of works by composers including Laurence Caldecote and Michael Finnissy, and the second performance of John Rutter’s carol Carol of the Magi. In Norfolk they can be regularly found singing services around the county not least in Salle Church, one of the most perfect round tower acoustics in the country, as well as singing as a deputising choir at many English Cathedrals.
The Paston Singers are performing three concerts during their Maltese Island Tour: Thursday 31st October 2024 at 7.00pm, venue the Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral Church Victoria, Gozo. On Friday 1st November 2024 at 7.15pm at St. Dominic Basilica Church Valletta and on Saturday 2nd November 2024 at 6.45pm at Our Lady of Sorrow Parish Church St. Paul’s Bay.
