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Under his tutelage,
the young musicians went from strength to strength and the villagers
started to take note of the new Society in their midst. Now the
sixth anniversary of the Institute’s opening was nearing and a
special program of festivities to mark the occasion was being
prepared. It was decided, by the institute’s directors, that the new
band would make its baptism of fire.
On the 17th May 1931, a considerable crowd from all parts of Gozo gathered in the
Institute’s yard and environs to witness the public debut of the new
St. Joseph Band. On this first occasion, among other renditions. the
new Band played the “Omaggio Al Superiore Mons. De Piro”. The work
of Mro Mikiel Farrugia. It was fitting that the first notes played
by the new band would be in honour of its founder and composed by
the Maestro who had trained it to attain the required level to play
in public. As witnesses recalled later, Mons De Piro, who was justly
moved by the occasion, delivered the inaugural address and wished
the new band a long life.
The new band soon showed its mettle by taking part in several feasts
and other occasions. It took part in the feasts of St. Anthony and
Our Lady of Lourdes (both at Ghajnsielem). On the 5th July 1.93 1,
it moved out of the village’s orbit for the first time to take part
in the festivities connected with the Sabina Church in Victoria.
In 1932 it took part for the first time in the festers’ of St.
George in Victoria and the Sacred Heart in Fontana. in the same year
(1932) it played in the hospitals of Victoria
and Chambray. On the 25th April 1934 it accompanied the new statue
of Our Lady of Grace to its home in the Convent of the Capuchins in
Victoria. And on the 17th May 1933, the Band welcomed the Governor
with the playing of the “God Save” on the occasion of the Silver
Jubilee of King George V.
The year 1933 was a sad year for the St. Joseph’s Home and the young
band within it because of the death of Mons.
Guzeppi De Piro. Shortly afterwards the Institute passed under the
care of the Gozitan Father Joseph Galea Rapa, who became its new
director.
The arrival of this priest opens a new and important chapter in the
history of the band. It was time that the band developed in a new
direction and became an integral part of the village
of Ghajnsielem. Father Galea Rapa did not find a promising situation
when he became Director. There were very few musicians as only
members of the Institute could play and these were always changing.
Therefore he. could not rely on a solid base of musicians and this
fact was hamstringing the band and threatening an early demise. It
was now that Father Joseph saved the new Band and rejuvenated it
with new blood by opening its doors to youths from the village and
with one stroke enlarged it and put it forever in the mind and
affection of the villagers of Ghajnsielem. His first achievement was
to secure permission from the Bishop Michael Gonzi to enroll as
musicians young men from the Catholic Action of Ghajnsielem. |
