The Animae Gospel Choir is a vocal ensemble based in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It was founded in 2008 by

Glen Vella Glen Vella (born 14 May 1983) is a Maltese singer. He started his singing career at the age of 13. He studied both practical and theory in voice and piano. He is certificated in voice coaching from the Victoria Music and Arts College London. Gle ...

and it has since grown into a 23 gospel singer-troupe.

History

Launched in 2008, the Animae Gospel Choir was founded by Maltese singer Glen Vella, who, after experiencing the sound of the Soweto Gospel Choir in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, joined forces with Pamela Bezzina, who is the Choir's vocal director and arranger, and Leontine Spiteri to create the choir. The name ‘Animae’ is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word for ‘soul’, anima, and the Animae Gospel Choir aims to be 'a spiritual ensemble that promotes positivity and unity'. The Animae Gospel Choir is made up of 23 singers including three who have represented Malta at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

(Debbie Scerri (1997), Glen Vella (2011) and Amber Bondin (2015)). Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the current US Ambassador to Malta, is also a member of the Choir. In 2009 the Choir held its first national, musical performance, entitled Animae Gospel Choir in Concert, at the Manoel Theatre in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

. Guests

Chiara Siracusa Chiara Siracusa better known by her mononym Chiara (born 25 September 1976), is a Maltese singer. She represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998, 2005, and 2009 and is with a second and a third place the third most successf ...

(of

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

) and Ivan Grech (of Winter Moods) joined the troupe on stage, along with a seven-piece band that was directed by Christian Borg. The 90-minute programme included classics from the genres of

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

, and featured songs by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Zucchero Adelmo Fornaciari (; born 25 September 1955), more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero (), is an Italian singer, musician and songwriter. His stage name is the Italian word for "sugar", as his elementary teach ...

and

Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...

, among others. On 30 July 2010, the Animae Gospel Choir performed two songs alongside Winter Moods at a concert attended by 10,000 people - one of the biggest audiences ever amassed by a Maltese band. The second Animae Gospel Choir in Concert took place over two nights in March 2012, and was held under the patronage of

George Abela George Abela, (born 22 April 1948) is a Maltese politician who was the eighth president of Malta from April 2009 to April 2014. Early life Abela was born in Qormi, Malta, to George and Ludgarda (née Debono) Abela. He attended the local primar ...

, the then

President of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...

. Taking place in Republic Hall at the

Mediterranean Conference Centre The Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC, mt, Dar il-Mediterran għall-Konferenzi) is a Convention center, conference centre in Valletta, Malta. The building was built as a hospital in the 16th century by the Knights Hospitaller, Order of St. Jo ...

in Valletta, which is Malta's largest conference centre, the concert included ' Ain't No Mountain High Enough' and ' Livin' on a Prayer'. In 2012 the Choir also took part in the Parkinson's Awareness Week organised by the MPDA (Malta Parkinson's Disease Association) to help raise awareness about

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. Following the release of their first single 'Ninni La Tibkix Iżjed' in 2013, the Animae Gospel Choir was also invited to perform this traditional, Maltese, Christmas anthem and other worship tunes at

St John's Co-Cathedral St John's Co-Cathedral ( mt, Kon-Katidral ta' San Ġwann) is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Ma ...

in Valletta, during the official

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

2014 celebrations. In 2014, the Choir took part in the revival of the Maltese epic 'Gensna' ('Our Nation'), and introduced the revolutionary ‘Animae Experience’, which has created a platform for non-members to interact with the choir through song and worship. In September of the same year the Choir, under the patronage of Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the current President of Malta, performed during MaltaDay at

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site on which the cathedral stands in the City of ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, while in December they sang an a cappella rendition of the

Maltese National Anthem "" ("The Hymn of Malta") is the national anthem of Malta. It is written in the form of a prayer to God. Officially adopted in 1964 upon independence from the United Kingdom, it was composed by Robert Samut, and the lyrics were written by Dun Ka ...

outside the

Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta The Grandmaster's Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz tal-Granmastru), officially known as The Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz), is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. ...

during Malta's official 40th anniversary celebrations of the Republic In 2015 the ensemble gave a 90-minute performance on the bicentenary of the birth of St John Bosco, and they are now working on their third, national Animae Gospel Choir in Concert, which will take place in October 2015.

Notable singers

Singers include Amber Bondin,

Debbie Scerri Deborah (Debbie) Scerri (born on 25 March 1969 in Toronto) is a Maltese television presenter and singer. She represented Malta in the European Union, Malta and Cyprus Song Festival in 1994, held in Thessaloniki. She also represented Malta in the ...

, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley and Glen Vella

Discography

References

{{Reflist

External links

Animae Gospel Choir Official Website
Maltese choirs