Ray Sciberras

I have never considered composing music as a leisure activity. Even though such a task has ever been done during my “free time”. However, creating new compositions is always a passion and affection… almost a need. I draw inspiration from a wide variety of sources, from my own unconscious, from experiences of life, from my audiences, and religious faith.

Ray Sciberras born in Cospicua – Malta on December 27, 1962.  He was attracted to music by his hometown’s band when he was still a child. He studied Theory, Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue,  Orchestration, and History with Dr. Charles Zammit and Carmelo  Pace. Later, he followed an intensive course in Composition with  Mro Pawlu Grech. His academic qualifications consist of the  Associateship, Licentiateship, and Fellowship in composition from West London University, London College of Music. His compositions in the traditional and modern idioms are set for different media such as wind band serious music, orchestral,  chamber, sacred and vocal. In the field of chamber music, Ray  Sciberras expresses himself in a more modern style. He employs most of the well-established and renowned 20th-century compositional techniques to achieve a subjective mode.  However, due to his connection and intensive commitment among local band clubs, he enthusiastically devotes much of his time composing for the wind band. A collection of his early music for wind band was recorded in England by Doyen  Recordings Limited in 1999 and performed by the Yorkshire  Wind Orchestra under the direction of Frank Renton and the supervision of the world-renowned musician Dr. Nicholas Childs,  presently the conductor of the top-notch Black Dyke Band.

Currently, his wind band music compositions are being recorded and published by Hafabra Music of Belgium. The works which up to now were recorded under this label are “Pulcinella”, Pange  Lingua, “The Eight-Pointed Cross Chorale, “Ave Maria”,  “Jeanphil” and “The Fall of Fort St. Elmo”. They were performed by the Ad Hoc Wind Orchestra and the German Federal Police Band of Munich under the direction of Jean-Pierre Haeck and Christian  Lombardi, respectively.

Other important large-scale works in his repertoire are the  composition and orchestration/instrumentation of the original  soundtracks for “Anno Domini XXXIII” which was recorded by the Philharmonia Bulgarica Orchestra and Choir of Sofia under the direction of Valery Vatchev and “L-Iskorpjun” which was performed by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in 2012. His personal inventory also comprises Cantatas, like “Tislima lil San  Gejtanu” 1995 “Maria Mater Gratiae” 2001, “Ave Maria Regina  Et Mater” 2004, “Bi Twelidek Rebbaħtna” 2004 and “Ħodon  Fjuri lil San Publju” 2009 together with the Oratorios “Il-Għid  tal- Assunta” 2003, “Dawl Fuq is-Sinaj” 2005, “Sebastianus  Christianus” 2011, “Divo Petro” 2020 and “Ġużeppi Kieku Taf”  2020, among others. “L-Għanja Mostija” 2006, “Beland” song cycle 2011, “Arazzi Leqqiena” 2012, “Qasba Żejt” 2015,  “F’Baħar ta’Kwiekeb” 2019 and “Qalb ta’ Kanċla” 2020 and  “Mewġa” for Solo Clarinet and Orchestra 2020 are composed in a more contemporary popular style. Another important work is the publications of the complete cycle of Responsorial Psalms (year  A, B, and C) for organ, choir, and soloist, commissioned by the  Archdiocese of Malta in 2011. Ray Sciberras has also composed and recorded many devotional hymns, funeral, and festive marches and songs. He has already offered to the general public a collection of four cd’s containing his best funeral marches: “Jesu” 2003, “Totus Tuus” 2006, “Passio Domini” 2008, and  “Misericordiae Vultus” 2016. A prestigious reference to these works is included in the article “Processional Marches for Wind  Band” by Francis Pieters. This was published in March 2016  official magazine of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE). Besides the already mentioned  “Responsorial Psalms”, lately his musical pen has become more active with sacred and liturgical music. Some works conceived with this musical thought are “Antiphona Sancti Georgii Martyris  – Fundatus” 2010, “Ave Maris Stella” 2010, “Beati Pauperes”  2012, “I Vespers of the Solemnity of the Martyrdom of Paul the  Apostle” 2012, “Missa Gloria Tibi Domine” 2013, “Ave Rex  Noster” 2015, “Ostende Nobis” 2015, “Antiphona Solve Jubente  Deo” 2016, ”Ave Maria” 2016, “Suscepimus Deus” 2016, “Benedicite Gentes” 2016, “Gustate et Videte” 2017, “Missa In  Nativitate B. Mariae Virginis” 2018, “ I Vespers of the Solemnity for the Ascension of the Virgin Mary” 2019 and “Missa in Coelos Assumpta” 2021. In the band sector, he is the former band director of Maria Mater Gratiae of Zabbar, St. Cajetan of Hamrun, and St.George’s of Cospicua respectively. Presently he holds the position of Maestro di Cappella Diacono, teaches music at De La  Salle College, and shares much of his time, rehearsing and conducting the Beland Band of Zejtun and St. Mary of Mosta.