In Tunis - 1927
The band club’s reputation had also reached Africa under Mro. Artz. In April 1927 they were invited to Tunis by the Maltese residing there for the religious feasts which were to start in May. The Committee accepted the invitation and on May 31st a contingent of musicians and admirers left for Tunis. On their arrival they were greeted by the Maltese, who accompanied them when they visited the Governor, British Consul and Tunisian Nobility.
The first programme they performed was in Phjara. Mro. Artz trusted his assistant Mro. Pacifico Scicluna fully, and let him lead the first programme. Here the Assistant Band Director directed the musicians who performed various pieces from Maltese composers, Verdi, Brahms and Gounod.
The second programme was to be performed in one of the leading theatres in Tunis – Teatro Alhambra. This evening was attended by the city’s highest officials. Mro Artz presented his composition to Malta, Nicolo Isuoard’s Avviso ai Mariati and Strauss’s Rosenkavalier. Mrs Artz performed various arie and songs accompanied by her husband on the piano. The concert was concluded by various speeches for the occasion, a presentation of a number of gifts and the performance of the God Save and the French National Anthem. Afterwards the Maltese community hosted a lunch for the committee members and the musicians, to which Tunisian officials and the British Consul were invited.
The last programme was in the Belvedere in Tunis, where in the repertoire Artz included the composition Respighi Le Fontane di Roma, which was received to huge applause and which was played for a long time. Also, the band club was presented with a banner from the local Maltese community. Due to the great success of these trips, the society received a number of invitations, which unluckily could not be fulfilled, due the outbreak of the two world wars. Amongst these was an invitation from J.C. Bonnici to Tunis, 2 years before the Second World War to participate in the International Music Concours between the 16 and 18 April 1938. Due to further difficulties which emerged after the war, the band tried to go abroad once again for the first time in 1998, but wasn’t successful and the trip was cancelled.
The band was also invited to participate in a contest which was going to be held in July of the same year in Como, Italy. However, the band couldn’t attend since the contest was canceled due to difficulties encountered by the organisers.