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New musical conductor for St Joseph Band Club

Saturday, 17th May 2003

The “Ghaqda Muzikali San Guzepp” has just announced the selection its new musical conductor following the resignation of Mro. Joseph N. Summut who rendered 20 years of sterling service to the Band. The new Gozitan conductor is now Mro. Sunny Galea from Victoria.

Sunny Galea has been a clarinet soloist with the “La Stella Band” of Victoria for the past 25 years after joining the Band in 1955. He studied clarinet under the direction of Guzeppi Spiteri and Edgar Lowell, the latter, a former conductor of the “La Stella Band” itself. He also studied the violin under Mro. Ganni Vella, Dwardu Azzopardi and George Spiteri.

In 1960 he started his studies of harmony with Mro. Carmelo Pace, and was awarded a diploma in Musical Composition (A.L.C.M.) from the London College of Music. He was a music teacher at local primary and secondary schools for over16 years.

Sunny Galea also distinguished himself through the composition of various band marches and popular hymns such as “Innu lill-Qalb ta’ Gesu” and “Innu ta’ Inkurunazzjoni” for the feast of Fontana, “Innu lill-Madonna tal-Vizitazzjoni” for the feast of Gharb the popular hymn “Lil San Gorg Martri - Gmiel u Gawhra” for the feast of St. George in Victoria, “Lill-Madonna tac-Cintura”, for the feast of Gudja and “Innu lill-Fontana” which was commissioned by the Fontana Local Council. Recently he also composed a new hymn “Lill-Madonna ta’ Loreto” which will be inaugurated in the forthcoming Ghajnsielem feast in August. He also wrote four arrangements for clarinet solo and band.

In 1998, Mro. Galea started to hold music lessons and trainee sessions for the students of the “La Stella Band”. He also conducted the Band in the absence of its musical director, Prof. Joseph Vella, followed by his appointment as Assistant Musical Director of the ”La Stella Band”.

The President and members of the “Ghaqda Muzikali San Guzepp” of Ghajnsielem, would like to welcome their new musical director and augur all success for the band’s future.