Heard in the hive

Club Italia of Gzira, a non-governmental, non-profit-making organisation, founded in Malta at the end of 2003 and officially inaugurated in May 2004, is now in its fourth year of activity, working in the interest of the local Italian community. It enjoys the full support of the Italian Ambassador, the director of the Italian Cultural Institute, and the commander of the Italian Military Mission in Malta, as well as the chaplain of the Italian parish that meets at St Catherine of Italy church, Valletta.

Club Italia primarily serves as a social and recreational club for Italians residing in Malta and Maltese persons with an Italian connection, but anyone with a real interest in Italy is also most welcome to join.

It is open to all its members to socialise with each other and be updated with official information from Italy, as well as providing general help and lending itself as a meeting place for Italian visitors during their stay, whether for holiday or business purposes, in Malta.

A number of weekly activities are held at the club's premises. These consist of various handcraft sessions, courses, exhibitions, beauty demonstrations, dancing, projection of Italian films, watching of Formula 1 races, Italian football matches and other sports on television.

A number of books and games are available to members to spend some time in a relaxed atmosphere. Outside events are also organised every month, including cultural outings to places of interest, walks, cycling, dinners, parties, as well as swimming and seaside barbecues in summer. It also organises fund-raising events to help philanthropic organisations, such as Dar Merhba Bik in Balzan.

The club - situated at Block 2A, Gzira Complex, Gzira, is open weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and noon. It also opens on other days at various times, depending on the occasion.

For further information phone 2143-6680 or 9920-4900 or send an e-mail to clubitaliamalta@gmail.com.

Artistic birthday at Villa Tempra

DAME Françoise Tempra often amusingly recalls her father's words, "Venice was singing and dancing in the streets the day my daughter was born!" It was, of course New Year's Day and Venice as the rest of the world was celebrating!

And as in previous years, guests from overseas had landed in Malta the night before to join the birthday celebration at Villa Tempra, Mgarr, on New Year's Day. They included Ronald Burns and his wife from the US, Mira and Peter Popovich. who with Gordana Samardziski are preparing a 2007 Malta International Art Biennale event in Belgrade, and many others.

The highlight of the evening, as it has been every year for some time now, was provided by the Marie-Therese Vassallo Voice Studio Group, with Vanessa Magro, Paul Gatt, Lewis Hole and Charles Asciak singing favourite tunes in various languages.

With What a wonderful world, You did not have to say you loved me, La Vie en Rose and in their solos Marie-Thérèse and Vanessa enchanted all present! When Marie-Thérèse (who is director and concert organiser of the Malta Cultural Institute) began her Moscow Nights, Tatiana Granovskaya, wife of the Russian Ambassador Andrei Granovsky, started dancing to her husband's delight and general applause.

Dame Françoise was extremely moved when the telephone rang and Jordan Chircop, the two-year-old son of Mro Alan Chircop, founder-principal of the Euro Academy of Music and Arts and the Euro Academy Youth Orchestra, and his German-born wife, sang "Happy Birthday, Auntie Françoise" in perfect English.

Another exciting moment was when the mayor of Mgarr, Paul Vella, presented Dame Françoise with a coloured drawing of a Maltese landscape by his six-year-old son Malcolm, who insisted with his father that it should be shown in the children's section at this year's Malta Biennale (he had already participated in the 2005 edition).

Artists arrived with their creations, to celebrate this birthday: Ronald Burns with his floral creation, Joe Genovese with his extraordinary Homage to Giacomo de Pass, Vince Caruana with his latest creations at the Florence Accademia, Fr Marius Zerafa with the portraits of his mother and of that of his fellow-Dominican, Archbishop-elect Mgr Paul Cremona, and Eva Kover with her largest ceramic sculpture so far.

Patricia Salomone brought her manuscript "A Thermos flask of warm water...in the sun", an interesting and entertaining documentary biographical narrative vision of childhood in Malta as the daughter of an Italian mother and a Maltese father, which has been selected for the Literary section of the Malta Biennale.

Last but not least was Russian musician and composer Maria Koval, who brought along the  manuscript score and libretto (in French) of her four-act opera The Alto Singer Danilov, which has been entered for the Music Composition section of the Biennale, as well as a Biennale performance in Malta.

During the evening a sculpture of St Cecilia, patron saint of music, by Marius Zerafa was presented to Marie-Thérèse Vassallo, and a Malta Biennale cup was presented to mayor Paul Vella for his unfailing presence at all cultural activities in Mgarr.

After cutting the birthday cake with the message "Happy New Year to all Capricorn Boys and Girls" Dame Françoise, who was joined by Censina Gatt, Gordana Samadziski, Irina and Anastasia Medvedeva, and Lewis Hole, was regaled with the playing of a Happy Birthday Jazz composition dedicated to her and performed at the piano and sung by Norman Cristina.

This was a flying New Year start for the 2007 Malta International Art Biennale, which is scheduled to open at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on Saturday, May 19.

For more information call 7901-0140, 2157-9767, 7903-1842 or 7941 4040, or e-mail damefrancoisetempra@onvol.net or arnett_n@hotmail.com; alka@maltanet.net.

Triple congratulations for Olivia Dow's stars

If, after years of training, a ballet pupil - who started ballet lessons at the age of five - at the Olivia Dow School of Russian Ballet ends up teaching alongside with her renowned coach is already a great achievement.

But what if that same former pupil is also featured prominently in two major productions, namely Queen of the Dance - the 2006 ballet produced by Olivia Dow herself ,which was aired on Net TV and Channel 22, and the 1565 - the Great Siege show at the Valletta Waterfront, currently the most talked about tourist attraction produced by Salvu Mallia?

I would say double congratulations to Martina Zammit would be in order! But this is not all. Martina is also a full-time Archaeology/English Literature student at the University of Malta.

This year, three home-grown seniors graduated as junior teachers at Olivia Dow School of Russian Ballet - Martina Zammit, Althea Corlett and also Jessica Farrugia, who is now also teaching at Olivia Dow`s in Naxxar and who also did Queen of The Dance. Jessica is also undergoing secretarial courses at the Higher Secondary School in Naxxar, just round the corner from the Olivia Dow School in Leli Falzon Street.

The third teaching graduate, Althea Corlett, went abroad following in her older sister Marama's footsteps (Marama is at Urdang Academy in England on a three-year scholarship). She intends to gain abundant dance experience before she pursues her teaching career.

Olivia and I are delighted to have come such a long way from humble beginnings and will continue to keep our heads together and listen to our hearts and souls as to what can be best achieved for our pupils.

We are always here for them. Our pupils will always be our concern.

For more information about the Olivia Dow School of Russian Ballet contact Olivia Dow on 9947-4127 or visit www.oliviadow.com

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements January 15-21

Tomorrow
6.30 p.m. The President presides over a meeting of the Commission for the Administration of Justice at the Palace, Valletta.

Wednesday
10.30 a.m. The President visits schools in Lija.
7 p.m. The President meets various NGOs at the University Residence, Lija.

Thursday
9.30 a.m. The President receives Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi at the Palace, Valletta
6.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend thanksgiving Mass by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca at the end of his episcopate at St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

Friday
10 a.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over a Malta Community Chest Fund (MCCF) working committee at the Palace, Valletta.
10.15 The Presidents hosts the ambassadors accredited to Malta to exchange New Year's greetings at the Palace, Valletta.

Saturday
7.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a grand concert with the participation of the Pesaro Symphony Orchestra and the National Orchestra, directed by Paolo Ponziano Ciardi, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta.

Sunday
9 a.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami pay an official visit to Lija.