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Antoine Mercieca, Malta Piano Festival 2022_edited_edited.jpg
Antoine Mercieca

Antoine Mercieca was born in Victoria, Gozo on 21st July 1977. He commenced his primary education at the Sir Arturo Mercieca Primary School and continued at the Ninu Cremona Secondary School both in Victoria. He started studying the French Horn with La Stella Band Society and graduated to a bandist during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1990 and remained a bandsman with this band until 1999. Between 1991 and 2007 he continued his musical studies at the Johann Strauss School of Music, Ta’ Sannat where he received several certificates in the instruments of the French Horn and piano under the instruction of a number of musical director. For a period of time, Mercieca was musical director for aspiring bandspeople with the St. Margaret Band Club of Ta’ Sannat and those of Victory Band of Xaghra. From 1999 onwards, he started to compose his own pieces of music. Mercieca showed his great talents in the musicalspheres, such as: - Merry and sorrow marches along with religious anthems, and specific Resorection notes; - A variety of sacred music amongst them masses, solumn masses, numerous ‘tantum ergo’, eucharistic and marian hymns and anthems, innijiet ewkaristiċi and dedicated masses to saints, antiphon, requiem, ‘stabat mater’, adagio on clarinet, celebration for band, theme of love on small trumphet and various musical arrangments and compositions; *An oratory in honour of Saint Joseph; and, *A musical called, ‘Stella u Leone’. Numerous are the bands in Malta and Gozo who possess the musical compositions of Mercieca in their musical archives. To mention a few are the Leone Band Society (Town of Victoria), Victory Band (ix-Xagħra), St. Margaret Band (Ta’ Sannat), Mnarja Band (in-Nadur), Ite ad Joseph Band (il-Qala), Żejtun Band (Town of iż-Żejtun), Sant’ Elena Band (B’Kara), St. Joseph Band (il-Kalkara), Peace Band (in-Naxxar), Lily Band (l-Imqabba),12th May Band (Town of Ħaż Żebbuġ), St. Joseph Band (Ħal-Għaxaq) and at the St. Michael Band (Town of Ħaż Żabbar) Between 2002 and 2009, Mercieca served as assistant band director at the Stella Maris Chapel where he, as author, composed a variety of sacred pieces and arrangements of music and for the orchestra played during many occasions. He was a choir and orchestra member and singer of the Stella Maris Chapel. The time he served in this capacity, Mercieca composed a number of antifons amongst them: Sanctae Paule, San Antonio di Padova, Succurre Miseris and Tota Pulchra. He composed a number of religious anthemns in honour of saints: Lil Sant’ Elena Imperatriċi (2008) based on the lyrics of Rev. Fr. George Mercieca also of Victoria, for choir and orchestra to be performed each year at the feastive Mass at the St Helen Basilica; lil Sant’ Andrija, lil San Lawrenz L.V., lil Sant’ Antnin ta’ Padova, lil Ġesù Ewkaristija based on the lyrics of Canon Joe Meylak (Belt Victoria), Qalb Ħanina ta’ Ġesù for the Fontana parish, based on the lyrics of Rev. Fr. George Mercieca. Dedicated masses entitled: Missa Assumptae Est Mariae, Misa Santa Cecilia, Missa San Pio di Pietralcina, Missa in Honorem Summi Pontificis Papae Ioannis Pauli II and Missa Tota Pulchra. He wrote, Ave Maris Stella, O Salutaris Ostia, Ave Marija, Tantum Ergo u Missa Tota Pulchra for the collegiate of the Immaculate (Town of Bormla). Merieca’s music graced the large audience of Marian Song Festival organised by the Legion of Mary at the Don Bosco Oratory Centre of Victoria. In 2010, Mercieca was recognised with the honour for the Best and most OriginalMusic.In 1st February 2009, Mercieca was appointed musical director of the Ite ad Joseph Band of il-Qala by President  Dr. Raymond C. Xerri. Since this appointment, Maestro Antione Mercieca wrote, composed a sizeable number of traditional merry band marches, sombor and religious marches. In 2010, the Ite ad Joseph Band published a cd of traditional merry band marches and anthems all Merciecas work. Mercieca is also a regular bandists with the Victory Band since 2001. While still being themusical director of the Ite ad Joseph Band he continues to expand his long list of musical creations.

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