This is the first piece taken from the third set of the piano cycle 'Knejjes' (Churches) inspired by the many churches around the city of Valletta, Malta. 

This piece looks at the Church of St Mary of Jesus from which the Valletta Good Friday procession is held. The music takes the form of a slow funeral march, with each section mirroring the passing procession with its various statuary groups reflecting the Mysteries of Christ's Passion.

Track performed by the composer, March 2021.

Marċ tal-Imwiet (Funeral March)

'Żifna' was commissioned by a private individual to celebrate their parents' wedding anniversary.

Performer: Alexander Vella Gregory

Żifna

Scene 6 from the ballet Kalypso

Alexander Vella Gregory, piano
Studio recording

Commissioned & Produced by Żfin Malta
Choreography: Jacob Piccino
Original Score: Alexander Vella Gregory
Sound Design: Kristopher Chahda
Light Design: Moritz Zavan Stoeckle
Costumes & Masks: Lucien Cassou

Premiered February 2021

Rain (Scene from Kalypso)

Lacrymae Iesus

Text taken from the Gospel of St John

Music by Alexander Vella Gregory
Performers: The New Choral Singers
Recorded Live at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina, Malta
27th October 2006
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - No part may be reproduced, or used without prior permission.

'Maria ergo cum venisset ubi erat Iesus videns eum cecidit ad pedes eius et dixit ei,  'Domine si fuisses hic non esset mortuus frater meus.' 

Iesus ergo ut vidit eam plorantem, plorantes fremuit spiritu et turbavit se ipsum, et dixit 'Ubi posuistis eum?' Dicunt ei Domine, 'Veni et vide.' Et lacrimatus est Iesus.

(John, 11)

Lacrymae Iesus

This is the second song from my song cycle 'Mill-Qamar sal-Qabar' (From the Moon to the Grave).

This is taken from 'Riflessi' an album of Maltese art song recorded by Miriam Cauchi. All rights reserved by the composer and the performers.

Miriam Cauchi, soprano
Alex Vella Gregory, piano

recorded at San Anton Presidential Palace, Ħ'Attard in September 2013.

Produced and Recorded by Rene Brian Mamo
Mastered by Eric James at Philosophers Barn, UK

Photography credit: George Saguna


Kantilena

Violin Sonata (2006)

I. Żifna (Dance)
II. Lament
III. Tema u Varjazzjonijiet (Theme & Variations)

Pierre Louis Attard, violin
Sarah Vella, piano

Published by United Music Publishers Ltd: http://bit.ly/4nDmAxg

Violin Sonata


Invicta is inspired by the city of Senglea, which was given the title of Citta Invicta by La Vallette following the Great Siege of 1565.  The city was one of the worst hit areas of Malta during WWII, and after the war gradually suffered a decline. This piece is a tribute to the city and its residents.

This piece won the 2012 MPO Young Composers Contest

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Laus, conductor
8th November, 2013
Teatru Manoel, Valletta

Invicta

This is the third song from my song cycle 'Mill-Qamar sal-Qabar' (From the Moon to the Grave). The text is by Ġan Franġisk Bonamico (1639 - 1680)and is an ode to Grand Master Cotoner probably written for a May Day celebration 

This is taken from 'Riflessi' an album of Maltese art song recorded by Miriam Cauchi. All rights reserved by the composer and the performers.

Miriam Cauchi, soprano
Alex Vella Gregory, piano

recorded at San Anton Presidential Palace, Ħ'Attard in September 2013.

Produced and Recorded by Rene Brian Mamo
Mastered by Eric James at Philosophers Barn, UK

Photography credit: George Saguna

Mejju Ġie bil-Ward u Żahar

This work, commissioned by the Argotti Ensemble, is built around the painting of 'Our Lady of the Rosary' by Francesco Zahra in the Parish Church of the Assumption, Ħal Għaxaq. The painting shows the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus with St Dominic and St Catherine of Siena kneeling before him. 

The work uses a melody from the Agnus Dei of a small mass I had written earlier and weaves it into a three part work - a section for each of the three mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The first, the Joyful Mysteries, are given to the piano (representing the Virgin Mary). The French horn (representing Christ)joins for the second part for the Sorrowful Mysteries. The two violins, representing St Dominic and St Catherine, join for the final part - the Glorious Mysteries. 

The Argotti Ensemble

Maria Conrad, violin
Nemanja Ljubinkovic, violin
Jose García Gutiérrez, French horn
Philip Walsh, Piano

Recorded at Acapela Studios, Cardiff, Wales
Sound Engineer: Lee House

Project supported by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Sonata sopra Agnus Dei

Jekk ma fhimtux, dak kollu li ħabbejna issa mar,
Il-ħolma li aħna ħlomna sar duħħan,
Għax dak li twelidt bih
Ħaddieħor ried jixtrih
U ħadna flusu w morna lura d-dar.

Jekk ma fhimtux, l-Assedju bqajna qatt ma irbaħnih,
Għax wirt missirijietn’aħna qriednih.
Waħħalna fil-barrani
Għall-qerq ta’ raġel għani
Li serqilna artna w irringrazzjajnih.

Rit:	Araw daqxejn id-demm
	Iċarċar mal-bandiera ta’ pajjiżi
	U jimla’ l-irjus sħan għatxan’għar-rebħ.
	Kulħadd iħanxar b’rabja ‘Viva Ċesri’,
	U ‘l Alla bqajna qatt ma tajnih xejn.

Jekk ma fhimtux, li kollha maqbudin fuq roqgħa blat,
Ta’ xejn it-torrijiet u it-triqat.
Ħadd minnkom ma jrid jara
Li aħna lkoll baħħâra
U ma nafux b’fruntieri jew bi stat.

Jekk ma fhimtux, ma fadal ħadd li jaf kif taħdem l-art,
Insejna kif ixxettel, x’inhu l-ħart.
Kif tista’ taqta’ l-ġuħ
Biċ-ċifri mingħajr ruħ?
Mill-konkos qatt ma nibet qamħ jew ward.

Rit: 	Araw daqxejn id-demm
	Iċarċar fuq idejna ndifferenti
	U jtebba’ l-flus li bihom xtrajna s-skiet.
	Kulħadd iħanxar b’rabja, ‘Viva Malta’,
	Filwaqt li nxejru l-bnadar tal-partit.

Jekk ma fhimtux, dak kollu li ħabbejna issa mar,
Dawk kollha li ħabbejna marru d-dar
U fadal int u jien,
Iltiema fl-aqwa żmien
Bl-għaraq ta’ ħidmietna nitfu n-nar.

Jekk ma fhimtux

This is the fourth movement from 'Awwissu' (August), a five-movement work from flute, oboe, and harp that looks at folkloristic traditions associated with August weather phenomena.

'L-Għerejjex ta' Santa Marija' (St Mary's Dwellings) refers to the first summer showers that happen around mid-August (around the feast of the Assumption on the 15th), and usually signal the beginning of the end of the summer season. 

This work was written in 2005.

Rebecca Hall, flute
John McDonough. oboe
Britt Arend, harp

Live recording for Chamber Music Fridays series

Project supported by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

L-Għerejjex Ta' Santa Marija

This is the first song from my song cycle 'Tluq' (Departure), a setting of three poems by contemporary Maltese poet John Aquilina.

This is taken from 'Cantilena' an album of art songs recorded by Gillian Zammit (soprano), Britt Arend (Harp) and Frank Camilleri (cello). This project is produced and supported by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. All rights reserved. 

Gillian Zammit, soprano
Frank Camilleri, cello
Britt Arend, harp

Record Label: Navona Records

Photography credit: MPO

Vistu (Mourning)

Riħ / Wind is taken from Sinfonija Beltija / A Valletta Symphony (2016), which marks the culmination of years of research into Valletta, its communities, and their narratives. This five movement work brings together a wide range of elements from festas to football, and from history to contemporary attitudes. These interludes form the introduction to these movements and serve as moments of reflection before each movement. 

The wind represents the natural elements that interact daily with the city. The five interludes are cyclical in nature, representing both a daily and a seasonal cycle. These natural cycles contrast with the more aperiodic nature of human activity. These interludes are scored for chamber orchestra.

This is the third interlude which describes a violent winter storm lashing against the city.

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
Sergey Smbatyan, conductor.

Record Label: Navona Records

Available from: https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6322/

Photography credit: Wiki Commons

Wind - III. A Violent Autumn Storm (from 'A Valletta Symphony')

This Pastorale is the first in the piano cycle 'Knejjes' (Churches)based on 24 different churches around Valletta, Malta. This piece is inspired by the Church of St Francis - a beautiful Baroque church with a strong Christmas tradition. Not only is Christmas intimately tied with St Francis but this particular church has a beautiful crib on display throughout the year in the adjacent convent. 

The Pastorale is a musical form that has very strong historical connections to Christmas. In this particular work the carol Veni veni Emmanuel as well as Galea's Christmas Pastorale are referenced. 

For more info on the cycle visit: http://alexvellagregory.com/project/knejjes/

To purchase the sheet music visit: https://ump.co.uk/composer/alexander-vella-gregory/

Pianist: Alex Vella Gregory

Photo: Borgden, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Pastorale (from Churches I)

Alexander Vella Gregory was born in Malta in 1984. He has studied piano with Paul Borg and Joanne Camilleri, and obtained a Fellowship of the London College of Music (FLCM) diploma in 2013. In 2002, he won the Ian Tomlin Napier/Malta Music Scholarship which enabled him to pursue a B.Mus(Hons) degree in composition at the Ian Tomlin School of Music, Napier University, Edinburgh where he graduated in July 2006 with honours. He is active as a composer pianist, accompanist and teacher.

Alexander has performed in many venues both in Malta and abroad, including Edinburgh, Vienna, Italy and Washington DC. He is also a continuo player with the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble. Alex Vella Gregory is also very active as a composer, and his works have been performed in Malta, Edinburgh, Vienna, Frankfurt, Prague, Finland and the USA.
!Alexander is also the Artistic Director and a founding member of the Cappella Sanctae Catharinae, Malta’s only male choir (www.cscmalta.com). He is also a continuo player with the newly formed Valletta International Baroque Ensemble.

He is also very active in the theatre scene, and has written music for various theatrical productions. Some of these include Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (MADC, 2007), Euripides’ The Bacchae (MADC, 2008) and Arsenic & Old Lace (MADC, 2012). Alex was also vocal coach for the Malta run of the hit musical Spring Awakening (MADC, 2009), and for Ospizio (Teatru Anon, 2010), a site-specific theatre performance commissioned for the Malta Summer Arts Festival 2010.
!Alexander has participated in several music education projects for children, including The Carnival of Animals (2009), a dance performance for kids, and The Classical Experience (2009), a project which targeted schools. In October 2010 he performed Tramuntana in Washington DC, together with Sarah Spiteri, as part of the Kids Euro Festival, which performance was repeated for Żigużajg, Malta’s first ever Children’s Festival in 2011.

Alexander is currently working on a Phd in Music Composition with Napier University, Edinburgh. He is also currently a board member for St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity.
!

Alexander Vella Gregory

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