Music, continuity and change in the Maltese wind band tradition

Abstract

Wind band music is one of the most popular music traditions in Malta. In almost every Maltese town and village one finds one or two, sometimes even three, band clubs with their own premises, paying members and a band affiliated to them. The highlight of the year for band music is the village feast (festa) – the week-long festivities in honour of the village patron or secondary saint. This dissertation will investigate aspects of continuity and change in the Maltese wind band tradition with special attention to how this tradition has adjusted itself to current trends in Maltese culture and society. For this purpose, the present study will rely on the theories and methods of ethnomusicology. The work consists of an Introduction, five chapters and Conclusion. The Introduction presents the wind band tradition in Malta, the clubs that bands are affiliated to, as well as the typical structure of Maltese towns and villages. The same chapter will show how these wind bands and their respective clubs fit into the social and cultural life of the locality. Chapter one focuses on a historical overview of the Maltese wind band tradition. It presents the process by which Maltese wind bands flourished during the nineteenth century and evolved in various ways during the years that followed. Chapter two explores the band club (każin) from three aspects: (1) the band club as a physical space which hosts both musical and non-musical events; (2) the band club as a community of people that values the banda tradition and the contribution of their club to the social and cultural life of the town/village; (3) the band club as the producer of music both for the village feast as well as for other events. In all the three aspects one notes a very nice balance between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’. Chapter three analyses the Maltese festive band march with special attention to how this changed over the years whilst preserving its identity. Such discussion will incorporate a range of extra-musical processes that place the music of these marches into a better perspective. Chapter four examines the interrelationship of the Maltese wind band tradition and partisan politics in Malta. This link has existed since the beginning of the Maltese wind band tradition. The chapter will also show how this interrelationship has evolved over the years to reflect ongoing propagandistic intentions and strategies. Chapter five explores the role of the recording industry in the recording of Maltese marches. The chapter will show the impact of recordings on the appraisal of Maltese marches and how recording practices of the past can still be observed in today’s banda tradition. The conclusion will bring together and summarise the main points of the overall discussion while pointing out aspects of the tradition of our concern that require further research.