Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/357188
MATTHEW VELLA APPLICANTS for the post of 'con- ductor' or musical director for a 40-musician orchestra for the Pub- lic Broadcasting Services, have told MaltaToday they were never called in for an interview. Despite applying for the position when the vacancy was announced on 5 January, the applicants say they learnt that it would be Maestro Joe Brown and Paul Abela to lead the or- chestra from a TVM broadcast. The applicants – who insist they had the necessary experience in con- ducting international events – said that they were never called in for an interview or informed as to whether they had been short-listed or not. They agreed that while Brown and Abela were certainly suited for the post, "the fact that we were not called up for an interview opens PBS to the charge that the vacancy was an excuse to have Brown and Abela appointed without question." Both Brown and Abela have been associated with musical produc- tions for Labour television One TV. In 2007, Brown led a 12-piece band accompanying some of Malta's best- known singers for Labour's May Day festivities, while in 2011, Abela was one of the personalities taking part in a musical tribute for One Produc- tions' twentieth-year anniversary. Frederick Testa, head of drama at PBS, who is now also artistic direc- tor for the orchestra, told MaltaTo- day that he was unconnected to the selection process. "I was drafted in to take charge of the orchestra's musical productions after the selection of Brown and Abela to lead the orchestra. I cannot answer on how the selection process took place," Testa said. The Public Broadcasting Services' orchestra is a new concept to the national broadcaster. Yesterday, ap- plications for the selection of some 40 musicians closed, with auditions scheduled to start on Tuesday, 5 Au- gust. The debut of the PBS orchestra will be in November 2014 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, with a show called 'A Night at the Theatre' and later on, a Christmas special and a tribute to Cole Porter and Noel Coward. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 AUGUST 2014 News Applicants for PBS conductor miffed at lack of interview NEW PEUGEOT 108 DESIGN YOUR LIFE Combined consumption (l/100 km): from 3.8 to 4.3. CO 2 emissions (g/km): from 88 to 99. www.peugeot.com.mt 7 THEMES OF PERSONALISATION Michael Attard Ltd. – National Road, Blata l-Bajda – T: 2123 8854 – M: 79 406 607 – E: sales@michaelattard.com Join Peugeot Malta on Facebook: www.facebook.com/peugeotmalta 0856. Peugeot - 108 - 10x4.indd 1 09/07/2014 17:03 Joe Brown and Mario Abela (left and right) were announced as directors of the PBS orchestra but other applicants for the post say they were not interviewed Malta 'doing its utmost' to keep Tripoli embassy open MIRIAM DALLI MALTA and Italy remain the only two EU countries with their diplo- matic missions still operating from Libya after the United Kingdom be- came the latest country to tempo- rarily move its Tripoli diplomats to Tunis. "The Maltese government is doing its utmost to keep the Maltese em- bassy in Tripoli open and assist the Maltese nationals who remain there," government sources said. MaltaToday understands that the government is reluctant to pull out its diplomatic mission from Tripoli while Maltese nationals remain in the strife-torn neighbour. Despite repeat- ed advice by the government to return to Malta, some 70 Maltese remain in Tripoli. The number is unofficial. A group of 25 Maltese nationals returned home last night on board a Virtu Ferry trip chartered by an in- ternational company to evacuate its workers from Libya. The Maltese na- tionals did not pay for the trip. The government is at this stage as- sisting Maltese nationals in their departure from Tripoli and Beng- hazi. In technical terms, this is not an evacuation. MaltaToday is also informed that Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella is in constant contact with his Italian counterpart, Federica Mogh- erini. While the EU countries, and the European Union itself, have pulled out their diplomatic missions, mass evacuations have not been called. But like Malta, countries are advis- ing their citizens to leave the country and a number of international com- panies have secured the departure of their workers from Libya. Malta is also trying to help Maltese nationals in Benghazi by securing for them a place on a ship from Malta that is being readied for the evacua- tion of Filipinos. There appears to be no end to the crisis and the government has every- thing set in the eventuality of mass evacuations. Yesterday, a rocket struck the main fuel depot in the Libyan capital. According to the National Oil Company, Tripoli's main fuel depot was set ablaze after rockets fired by one of Libya's armed groups struck and ignited a tank. Black plumes of smoke rose over the fuel tanks, which store oil for use in the capital and are located near Tripoli's international airport. Firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze were forced back by the fight- ing, NOC spokesman Mohamed al- Harari said. Libya's newly elected parliament yesterday held an emergency meet- ing to discuss the dire security situ- ation threatening to tear the country apart. The House of Representatives, elected in May, met in an attempt to set a political framework, and guide Libya out of the pit of violence that has raged for weeks in certain parts of the country. The assembly's first official session is scheduled for to- morrow.