The Malta International Organ Festival
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20th November till 4th December 2020

St John of the Cross Parish Church, Ta'Xbiex

About the Organ

Picture
A few years ago the Discalced Carmelite Community at Ta’ Xbiex expressed their interest to install a pipe-organ for their relatively modern (post-WWII) church, which is also the Ta’ Xbiex parish church. A new, custom-built pipe-organ was too expensive for the parish so the only option was a good second-hand pipe-organ. 

During a visit to Germany, Robert Buhagiar got to know about an electro-pneumatic organ which was up for sale. It was built in 1967 by Seifert Orgelbau, one of the best German organbuilding firms. Mr.Buhagiar inspected the organ and was pleased with the technical and tonal performance of the organ. The state of conservation was very good and the internal ‘membranen’ had been replaced only a few years before. Therefore Mr.Buhagiar proposed this organ to the Ta’Xbiex community who decided to buy this organ.

Mr.Buhagiar himself directed the dismantling works of the organ in Germany helped by local volunteers. All organ parts were carefully packed and shipped to Malta in a 40ft container which reached Malta in July 2003. The parts were then placed in storage in the priory awaiting the construction of a platform gallery above the main entrance to the church. 

All organ parts were checked and overhauled as required by Robert Buhagiar. The two modern style cases were erected, followed by the two main windchests, bellows, secondary chests and finally the pipework. The wind is supplied by two silent electric blowers placed in the cases above the pipework. The console was placed at one side of the church and an electric cable connects it to the organ cases. The façade consists of pipes from the Pedal Prinzipal 8’ and the Great Prinzipal 8’. The largest façade pipes are of flamed copper while the rest are of medium percentage tin. The rebuilt organ fits excellently in the arch above the main entrance such that it seems that the organ was custom-designed for the Ta’ Xbiex parish church. The original voicing was respected. In an attempt to provide some 'warmth', the delicately voiced Gamba 8' was tuned to be a Celeste when played with other soft 8' ranks, though it is also perfectly in tune when played by itself. 

The performance of the organ is optimal. The response of the key and stop action is excellent. The tonal structure is well planned and the various stops blend well. Though it is a neo-baroque instrument it possesses bold foundation ranks while the upperwork is not too shrill at all. All departments (2 manual and pedal) are ‘complete’ departments with foundations up to mixtures and reeds. 

An inauguration recital was held on Thursday 5th January 2006 by Dr.Hugo Agius Muscat. 

Courtesy of Ing. Robert Buhagiar

History

Picture
The Discalced Carmelites built a priory and a church in ta' xbiex in 1948 on a plot of land given to them by Baron Pietro Paolo Testaferrata Moroni Viani. The church was opened for worship on 1958 and became the parish church of the locality in 1st June 1969. It was dedicated in 1989.

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  • Home
  • Programme
    • Programme 2020
    • Programme 2019
    • Programme 2018
    • Programme 2017
    • Programme 2016
    • Programme 2015
  • Artists
    • Artists 2020 >
      • Lisa Bini
      • David Boldrini
      • Felicitas Brunke
      • Jason Camilleri
      • Franco Cefai
      • Ansgar Gescher
      • Lukas Hasler
      • Joseph Lia
      • Elizaveta Lobanova
      • Luca Magni
      • Wayne Marshall
      • Natalia Rakhmatulina
    • Artists 2019
    • Artists 2018 >
      • Gail Archer
      • Dmitry Banaev
      • Giacomo Benedetti
      • Alesandro Bianchi
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Reggie Clews
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Dina El
      • Sandro Gori
      • Jurgen Grima
      • Petr Ilyash
      • Stefano Molardi
      • Marco Lo Muscio
      • Olga Makarina
      • Mariella Mochi
      • Sergio Orabona
      • Neils Pfeffer
      • Irina Rozanova
      • Christian Schmitt
      • Daniela Tremaroli
      • Simone Valeri
      • Petra Veenswijk
      • Kristina Vilotševa
    • Artists 2017 >
      • Brendan Ball
      • Riccardo Bianchi
      • Ka Bo Chan
      • Franco Cefai
      • Maurice Clerc
      • David Davies
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Semjon Kalinowsky
      • Luca Magni
      • Gaulitanus Choir
      • Taras Baginets
      • Martino Pòrcile
      • Giuliana Maccaroni
      • Hugo Agius Muscat
      • Julian Mallek
      • Zita Nauratyill
      • Joseph Lia
      • Wayne Marshall
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Andres Uibo
      • Mark Vassallo
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
      • Dominika Zamara
    • Artists 2016 >
      • Piret Aidulo
      • Geoffrey Alvarez
      • Dominique Aubert
      • Heribert Breuer
      • Roberta Bugeja
      • Dion Buhagiar
      • SIlvia Di Falco
      • Giesme Choir
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Joseph Caruana
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Philippe Emmanuel Haas
      • Yfke Hoogevee
      • Joseph Lia
      • Yaroslav Mikulkho
      • Alexandra Orlova
      • Elena Sartori
      • Christian Schmitt
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Andres Uibo
      • Erwin Wiersinga
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
    • Artists 2015 >
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Adriano Morea
      • Andres Uibo
      • Ciricino Micheletto
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
      • Denis Kasparovitch
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Erwin Wiersinga
      • Evgenia Krivitskaia
      • George Devdariani
      • Gianluca Libertucci
      • Gianpiero Cristaldi
      • James Ham
      • Joseph Caruana
      • John Aquilina
      • John Galea
      • Joseph Lia
      • Maria Lyudko
      • Mari-Liis Uibo
      • Olga Makarina
      • Roberto Rigo
      • Simone Vebber
      • Vladimir Suzdalevich
    • Artists 2014 >
      • Alfred Fenech
      • Anastasia Bogacheva
      • Dion Buhagiar
      • Dmitry Banaev
      • Elena Yaskunova
      • Francesca Farrugia
      • Graziella Debattista
      • Irina Rozanova
      • Malta Police Band
      • Vladimir Shliapnikov
      • Wayne Marshall
  • Venues
    • St Francis of Assisi Church, Valletta
    • Our Lady of Victories, Valletta
    • St. Paul's Anglican Pro- Cathedral, Valletta
    • Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church, Fontana Gozo
    • Annunciation of Our Lady Parish Church, Balzan
    • St. John's Co-Cathedral Oratory, Valletta
    • St. Cajetan Parish Church, Hamrun
    • St Julian's Parish Church, St Julian's
    • Gozo Cathedral, Cittadella, VIctoria, Gozo
    • Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church, Balluta
    • Jesus of Nazareth Chapel, Xagħra, Gozo
    • Annunciation Parish Church (Rotunda), Mosta
    • St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina
    • St John of the Cross Parish Church, Ta'Xbiex
    • St. Augustine Church, Valletta
    • St Nicholas Parish Church, Siġġiewi
    • Xewkija Parish Church, Gozo
    • Our Lady of Ta' Pinu Sanctuary, Gozo
  • Masterclasses
  • Competition
  • Contact
  • News