ST ANNE FEAST AT PWALES CHAPEL
Saturday 12th July marked the eighth time that the Association of Lyceum Past Students celebrated the feast of St Anne at the Pwales chapel dedicated to the saint. ALPS Spiritual Director Fr William Bartolo, OFM Conv., said Holy Mass at 6.30 p.m. with the participation of the ALPS Choir under the direction of Mro Joe Fenech.
The chapel has come a long way from the state it was in when the Association started to care for it in 2000, following an agreement signed that September with Fr Joe Mamo, then parish priest of St Paul’s Bay. As a result of long hours of research and interviews, the chapel’s history from when it was still dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady has been put on line in the Kappelli Maltin website, www.kappellimaltin.com, set up by Joe Brincat, Roderick Busuttil and Noel Ciantar – incidentally, all three Lyceum past students.
This new and not-so-new knowledge about St Anne’s Chapel gave a new touch to this year’s feast at Pwales Valley. Researcher Walter Glynn and Roderick Busuttil graciously accepted to impart some of the fruits of their labour of love in a short talk about the chapel just after Mass.
The ALPS Choir then entertained those present with a selection of songs that its members have been preparing for various activities. The singing was followed by light refreshments for all.
GROUP ATTENDANCE FOR TURANDOT
Through the good offices of Cultural Commission Chairman Joe Fenech the Association of Lyceum Past Students is organising a group to attend a performance of Turandot, by Giacomo Puccini, at the Astra Theatre, Victoria, on Saturday 25th October at 7.30 p.m. Readers will find all the necessary information at the end of this edition of ALPS News.
Attendance is highly recommended to all opera lovers. Such activities in recent years have invariably been very successful and enjoyable, so this year should be no exception, especially in the light of the 150th anniversary of Puccini’s birth.
A.L.P.S. CHOIR ALSO TO COMMEMORATE PUCCINI
The anniversary of Puccini’s birth and the famous works he left behind when he died in 1924 (senior citizens in their late 70s still remember him alive), have also spurred Joe Fenech to organise a concert in honour of the great composer on 30th October, 2008, at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Phoenicia, Floriana. It would be premature to give any further details at present, but it is safe to “assume” that the ALPS Choir will be deeply involved. So please pencil the date into your diaries.
END-OF-SEASON BARBECUE DOWN SOUTH
The traditional end-of-season ALPS Barbecue on the weekend closest to L-Imnarja was held on Friday 27th June 2008 on the swimming-pool area terraces at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija, Marsascala. People from that part of the island appreciated the fact that an ALPS activity had gone to “their” area after a number of years.
All those who attended the event enjoyed the atmosphere immensely, chatting to long-unseen friends, reminiscing about their school years (and that includes the spouses of Lyceum past students who met their own former classmates), listening to the music provided by David Vella and dancing until they were tired.
ALPS was particularly pleased to welcome to the event George Gauci from ALPS Canada and David Fuller from ALPS Australia.
GRAND LYCEUM REUNION 2008
This year’s Grand Lyceum Reunion will be held on Saturday 4th October at the Main Hall of The Lyceum in Hamrun, with the kind permission of the Headmaster. As usual, all Lyceum past students, irrespective of membership or otherwise of ALPS, will be welcome to attend alone or with their spouses or partners, but the guests of honour will be those who left or entered The Lyceum 50 years ago, in 1958.
ALPS Membership Commission Chairman Tony Aquilina has already sent out a number of application forms (erroneously showing the day as Friday instead of Saturday) to all known Lyceum past students who do not receive ALPS News. Those who did receive the newsletter found a form attached to each copy. They are being asked to refer names and e-mail or postal addresses of any former schoolmates with whom they may still be in touch.
The form has been meticulously prepared to make it an essential tool for the greatest possible success of the Lyceum Grand Reunion. It is very important to send the applications in, both to receive formal invitations nearer the date and to help the Council of Administration plan catering requirements.
PROVIDENTIAL HELP NEEDED
Id-Dar tal-Providenza Director Mgr Lawrence Gatt has again asked ALPS News to help propagate an appeal for part-time volunteers to come forward and offer their help at the home.
Of course all help would be welcome, but what he specifically has in mind at this point in time is clerical staff with a working knowledge of word processing.
Any potential volunteers are asked to contact the Home’s Administrator Mr Anton Vella on telephone 21 463686. As Mgr Gatt is wont to say, expect no payment except from Above.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
Membership fees are now payable at the rates of €11.65 per year or €69.90 for life membership. Fees are to be sent to ALPS Treasurer David Abela at “Juniper”, Triq Ganni Vella, Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara. His telephone number is 2748 7693. Please quote the membership number as seen on the membership renewal advice form.
E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Several ALPS members and friends keep suggesting that ALPS News be distributed by e-mail rather than by costly conventional mail. But Secretary-General Alex Borg is invariably barraged by the electronic Postmaster with undelivered e-mails.
Members and friends who have changed their e-mail addresses, or who have had Internet recently installed on their computers, are earnestly asked to send in their updated addresses to info@alpsmalta.com.
Lyceum Grand Reunion application form
(Kindly dowload and send to ALPS)
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