Midday mass

This is recording of a midday, midweek mass attended by a few elderly women in the cathedral in Victoria, Gozo, and is a sound that is deeply embedded in my memory of place and immediately connects me to the experience of growing up in Malta. 

I am not religious but lived with my Maltese family and went to church as everyone did, saint or sinner! It is a short sound clip but for me describes place and time and conjures up the powerful and wonderful memories of my childhood. If I stayed with my Aunt I had to go with her to Midday mass and was of course reluctant and bored! However you never thought of saying no! 

This sound memory is a powerful sound talisman to my dual identity of a British and Maltese heritage. As children, we lived between two cultures which I consider a privilege. I was lucky enough to not feel displaced but it has given me an empathy with those who have less fortunate migration experiences.

Recorded by Mary Hooper.

Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration. 

For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration