Few would imagine that a ‘performance’ by Joseph Calleja at Gozo’s Cathedral in Victoria could go unnoticed. But that is precisely what happened last Friday, as the Maltese tenor filled every corner of the Baroque building with his golden voice.

Not surprisingly, there is an explanation as to why Gozitans were completely unaware that the world’s leading lyric tenor was singing in their capital.

Showing around foreign guests who wished to see the medieval Citadel, Calleja walked into the church as a casual visitor, just as the main doors were closing for the day. He had absolutely no intention of singing.

But once inside, we’re told, the Maltese tenor found the acoustic lure of the magnificent interior too tempting to resist, and unleashed his celebrated voice as he paced around the marble floor.

No one else was present bar four young men dressing the cathedral for the feast of Santa Marija. Even the chairs in the central section had been stacked away.

On his way out, Calleja bumped into one of the Cathedral’s most familiar faces, 86-year-old Mgr Guzepp Gauci, who had no inkling of what had happened a few moments earlier, and silence reigned once again. 

Gozitans will no doubt be kicking themselves for missing this spontaneous eruption of power and beauty, but all is not lost! A friend accompanying the tenor managed to capture a few precious moments on video which we are able to share.

Watch the incredible performance here: