Soċjetà Filarmonika 11 ta’ Frar

Soċjetà Filarmonika 11 ta’ Frar is a Maltese philharmonic society and band club based in Paola (Raħal Ġdid), Malta. It is one of the voluntary musical associations that animate the religious feasts of Maltese towns and villages, and it is linked to the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes (Madonna ta’ Lourdes) in Paola. The society is also known in Maltese sources as the Għaqda Mużikali Madonna ta’ Lourdes and its band as the Banda Madonna ta’ Lourdes (Banda Lourdes). The club traces its origins to the establishment of the new Lourdes parish in Paola. According to the Maltese Wikipedia article on Banda Lourdes, the first stone of the church dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes was laid and blessed by Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi on 15 August 1963. Three years after the parish was set up, Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale, with the help of friends including Joseph Fabri and Ernest Micallef, worked to found a new philharmonic society in Raħal Ġdid. The Għaqda Mużikali Madonna ta’ Lourdes was born on 20 April 1977. Early meetings were held in a room at the church or in the private homes of members until the committee acquired premises at 83 Ditch Street. Like other Maltese band clubs, the society’s statute sets out the aims of spreading the teaching of music and providing recreation for its members, while in practice it also works to make the titular feast more splendid. The band first organised a morning march for the feast in 1978, the year after its foundation. Over the years it added a Saturday march, a Sunday march, a Friday evening service and a vocal and instrumental programme for the bringing out of the statue from its niche. The band has also performed outside Paola, including at events such as the closing of the fiftieth anniversary of Hibernians F.C., at Imnarja in the Buskett gardens, at the Spring Festival in Valletta and the Argotti gardens in Floriana, and at feasts in Santa Venera, Ħal Qormi, Tas-Sliema, Marsaxlokk, Valletta, Il-Karkara, Raħal Ġdid, Ħat-Attard and Ħal Balzan. In 1987, on the occasion of the band’s tenth anniversary, the committee commissioned a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, the first such statue in Raħal Ġdid, made by the sculptor Kavallier Alfred Camilleri Cauhi and financed by the people of the parish with the help of Salvu Meli, a benefactor. In 2002 the society celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with a series of festivities, including a Mass at the Lourdes parish, a programme in front of the club during which President Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale unveiled a commemorative marble plaque, and the inauguration of two further marble plaques honouring the society’s presidents and musical directors. The anniversary programme included a vocal and instrumental performance at the Salesians’ theatre in Tas-Sliema, and saw the appointment of Prof. Josef Grech as the society’s third musical director. The society has around 150 members and a large number of students learning music under the musical director. It has benefited from the support of benefactors and from gestures such as the presentation of a new crown to Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale by the German Ambassador to Malta, Dr Schmitt, in 1984. In 1985 the committee fulfilled a long-held ambition by purchasing a larger club premises; the contract was signed on Sunday 26 May 1985 before Notary Dr Gerald Spiteri Maempel by Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale and Ernest Micallef as president and treasurer respectively. The club remains active in Paola’s musical and festa life.

The society’s history is closely tied to the growth of Paola (Raħal Ġdid) and the creation of its Lourdes parish. According to the Maltese Wikipedia article on Banda Lourdes, the first stone of the church dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes was laid and blessed by Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi on 15 August 1963. The new church, built in a modern style with a single altar and seating more than 800 people, served a growing population in what was described as a progressive suburb. Three years after the parish was established, Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale conceived the idea of founding another philharmonic society in Raħal Ġdid. With the help of friends including Joseph Fabri and Ernest Micallef, the project took shape, and on 20 April 1977 the Għaqda Mużikali Madonna ta’ Lourdes was born. Early meetings were held in a room at the church or in the private homes of members until the committee acquired premises at 83 Ditch Street. The society’s statute, like those of other Maltese musical associations, set out the aims of spreading the teaching of music and increasing the recreation of members. In practice it also worked to make the titular feast more splendid. In 1978, the year after its foundation, the band organised the morning march for the feast for the first time. Over time it added a Saturday march and a Sunday march, which became traditional, and later a Friday evening service and a vocal and instrumental programme for the bringing out of the statue from its niche. The band performed at numerous events outside Paola, including the closing of the fiftieth anniversary of Hibernians F.C., Imnarja in the Buskett gardens, the Spring Festival in Valletta and the Argotti gardens in Floriana, and feasts in Santa Venera, San Ġorġ in Ħal Qormi, San Girgor in Tas-Sliema, Marsaxlokk for the feast of Our Lady of Pompei, Santu Wistin in Valletta, San Ġużepp in Il-Karkara, Kristu Sultan in Raħal Ġdid, Santa Marija in Ħat-Attard and the Annunciation in Ħal Balzan. These were in addition to a large number of programmes and recordings. In 1987, on the occasion of the band’s tenth anniversary, the committee commissioned a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, the first such statue in Raħal Ġdid. It was made by the sculptor Kavallier Alfred Camilleri Cauhi and financed by the people of the parish with the help of Salvu Meli, a great benefactor of the parish and the society; the statue was collected by Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale. The statue has a strong devotion in the parish, and people are pleased when it is carried in procession during the titular feast. In 2002 the society celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with major festivities. These included a Mass at the Lourdes parish, a programme in front of the club during which President Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale unveiled a marble plaque commemorating the anniversary, and, during the feast of the society’s patroness Our Lady of Lourdes, the inauguration of two marble plaques, one for the society’s presidents and one for its musical directors. The anniversary festivities continued with a vocal and instrumental programme in which the band performed at the Salesians’ theatre in Tas-Sliema, and the society saw the appointment of Prof. Josef Grech as its third musical director. The society comprises around 150 members and a large number of students learning the art of music under the musical director. The committee, with the help of benefactors, took care from the outset to buy instruments and other gifts for the band. In 1984 the German Ambassador to Malta, Dr Schmitt, presented a new crown to Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale. DePasquale and some committee members had long held ambitions for the future, including the purchase of a larger premises. That dream was realised on Sunday 26 May 1985, when, before Notary Dr Gerald Spiteri Maempel at about 10:45 a.m., Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale and Ernest Micallef, as president and treasurer respectively, signed the contract for the purchase of the new club premises together with the heirs.

• 2002

  The society celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with festivities including a Mass, the unveiling of commemorative marble plaques, and the appointment of Prof. Josef Grech as third musical director.

• 1987

  On the band’s tenth anniversary, a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes by Kavallier Alfred Camilleri Cauhi was commissioned, the first such statue in Raħal Ġdid.

• 1985

  On 26 May, the contract for the purchase of new club premises was signed before Notary Dr Gerald Spiteri Maempel.

• 1984

  German Ambassador to Malta Dr Schmitt presented a new crown to Kavallier Lorenzo DePasquale.

• 1978

  The band organised the morning march for the feast for the first time.

• 1977

  Għaqda Mużikali Madonna ta’ Lourdes founded on 20 April, three years after the establishment of the new parish.

• 1963

  First stone of the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Paola laid and blessed by Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi on 15 August.

A community-based Maltese philharmonic society and band club tied to the Lourdes parish in Paola, dedicated to music education and the celebration of the titular feast.

• Banda Madonna ta’ Lourdes

  The society’s philharmonic band, which performs feast marches and vocal and instrumental programmes.

• Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes

  A statue made in 1987 by Kavallier Alfred Camilleri Cauhi, the first such statue in Raħal Ġdid, carried in procession during the titular feast.

1. 1Wikidata: Soċjetà Filarmonika 11 ta’ Frarwikidata.org
2. 2Maltese Wikipedia: Banda Lourdesmt.wikipedia.org