The 'Dominican' Sonatas, 1 November | Event in Valletta | AllEvents

The 'Dominican' Sonatas

Alexander Vella Gregory - Composer

Highlights

Sat, 01 Nov, 2025 at 07:30 pm

Malta Society of Arts

Advertisement

Date & Location

Sat, 01 Nov, 2025 at 07:30 pm (CET)

Malta Society of Arts

Palazzo De La Salle, Triq ir-Repubblika, Valletta, VLT, Malta

Save location for easier access

Only get lost while having fun, not on the road!

About the event

The 'Dominican' Sonatas
The 'Dominican Sonatas

World premiere of two piano sonatas by Alexander Vella Gregory.

Sonata No. 7 'Meditation' (2021)

I - Saint Pius V & The Holy Rosary
II - Saint Albert the Great contemplating Wisdom
III - Saint Thomas Aquinas & the Nature of God

Sonata No. 8 'Transformations' (2023)

I - St Hyacinth & the Statue of the Virgin
II - St Raymond Peñafort's Cloak
III - St Vincent Ferrer's Tongue

Lumen Ecclesiae (St Dominic of Gusman)

Saturday 1st November at 19:30
Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo de la Salle
Republic Street, Valletta

Entrance to the concert is free, but donations in aid of the restoration of the 19th century statues by Carlo Darmanin currently being undertaken by Għaqda Festi Esterni San Duminku are welcome.

Programme Notes:

The 'Dominican Sonatas' project started off as a personal exploration of the piano sonata as a means of meditation and reflection. It has at its core the Dominican spirituality, inspired by the life and works of St Dominic of Guzman and his Order of Preachers founded in 1216. The whole cycle consists of four piano sonatas, with the two Sonatas on the programme forming the second and third instalments of the cycle. Each sonata consists of three movements, each of which explores the hagiography of a Dominican saint. At the end of each sonata is a fourth movement dedicated to St Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers.

Sonata No. 7 'Meditation' looks at the Dominican's contribution to theology and meditation. The first movement is a meditation on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and Pope St Pius V's role in its promulgation. The second is a meditation on Wisdom and the figure of St Albert the Great, one of the great medieval theologians. The third movement then looks at St Thomas Aquinas and his monumental contribution to Catholic theology.

Sonata No. 8 'Transformations' exlores a different aspect of Faith - and that is the transformative power of faith. The first movement is dedicated to St Hyacinth of Poland who famously carried a stone statue of the Virgin Mary to safety during the Mongol siege of Kiev in 1240, carrying it 'as if it weighed no more than a feather'. The second movement looks at St Raymond of Penafort who used his cape and walking stick as a raft to sail away from Majorca to escape King James I of Aragon after repeatedly reproving him for having a mistress. The third movement then looks at St Vincent Ferrer's powerful preaching, which not only encouraged conversion, but was also understood by all regardless of their nationality.

Both piano sonatas are published by United Music Publishing Ltd, and are available for purchase.

Artwork: Rosaire Farrugia


Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Valletta, Music events in Valletta, Entertainment events in Valletta.

interested
Stay in the loop for updates and never miss a thing. Are you interested?
Yes
No

Ticket Info

To stay informed about ticket information or to know if tickets are not required, click the 'Notify me' button below.

Advertisement

Nearby Hotels

Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo De La Salle, Triq ir-Repubblika, Valletta, VLT, Malta
Get updates and reminders

Host Details

Alexander Vella Gregory - Composer

Alexander Vella Gregory - Composer

Are you the host? Claim Event

Advertisement
The 'Dominican' Sonatas, 1 November | Event in Valletta | AllEvents
The 'Dominican' Sonatas
Sat, 01 Nov, 2025 at 07:30 pm