MUSIC

Rock’n’Roll Christmas

International retro band That’ll Be the Day is performing for a second day at the Hilton Conference Centre in St Julian’s today.

The Rock’n’roll Christmas show combines all the favourite pop Christmas classics and traditional Christmas songs with hilarious comedy sketches and world-class impersonations.

The show starts at 8pm. For tickets, click here.

Musical Tidings

The New Choral Singers will present their annual seasonal concert today at St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Valletta, and on Sunday, December 18, at the church of St Dominic & the Blessed Virgin, Rabat (next to Villa Messina).

Under the direction of Mauro Farrugia, the choir will be accompanied by Gino Mule` Stagno on the organ and the TNCS Brass & Percussion Ensemble.

They will be performing carols from the 16th century to the present day. As in previous years, the audience will be invited to join the choir in song for some traditional favourites.

Entrance is free of charge and no reservation is required. However, a retiring collection will be held at the end of both performances.

The concerts start at 7.30pm. For more information, visit the the choir's Facebook page. 

ARTS

Amora

Contemporary circus company Cirque du Soleil's heart-pumping show is on for one last week.

The story centres around a clumsy but lovable character, Bruno, who, while gazing up to the skies of Valletta, sets eyes on a mysterious woman, Loulou. Captivated, he tries to climb up to her balcony to reach her… but she flies away and vanishes out of sight. He, thus, sets out on a quest to find her, meeting colourful new friends with extraordinary powers along the way.

Shows are taking place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta  until December 18. For tickets, visit showshappening.com. For more information, check cirquedusoleil/amora.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS

Christmas in the Capital

Valletta is hosting a programme of Christmas-related activities until the end of December.

There are Christmas trees in Freedom Square, Republic Street and Merchants Street, Christmas lights in Republic and Merchants streets, an artistic light installation in South Street and a crib next to St John's Co-Cathedral.

The programme, organised by the Valletta Cultural Agency, includes various music and artistic performances throughout the coming weeks, and will culminate with the New Year's Eve concert in St George's Square on December 31.

For details of the programme, visit vca.gov.mt.

The Magical Illuminated Trail

Verdala Palace in Buskett is hosting the Magical Illuminated Trail, featuring new and bigger attractions than in previous years, light Installations, projections and a new Christmas village. 

The magical after-dark adventure for all the family runs until January 7. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Malta Community Chest Fund.

For tickets, click here.

Other Christmas villages and attractions

Triton Square, in Valletta, is hosting Fairyland − Santa’s City, featuring favourite attractions such as Rudolph’s Wheel, an ice-skating rink and a Christmas market, as well as a World Cup Village. Santa’s City runs until January 6.

The Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali is turning into Santa’s World Malta until January 1. Activities include an elf school and cinema, Santa’s House, live shows and entertainment by Danusan.

Other Christmas villages are taking place at the Artisan Village in Ta’ Qali (until December 24), the Salina National Park in St Paul's Bay (until Sunday, December 18), Popeye Village in Mellieħa (until January 8) and the Malta National Aquarium in Qawra (until January 8).

Times of Malta is holding a Christmas Market at Pjazza Tigné, Tigné Point, Sliema, until today, while a jam-packed programme of activities is planned for the whole month at the Valletta Waterfront.

Cospicua has its own Christmas village, titled A Legend in the City, which starts today at 3pm. A shuttle service will be available to and from Garden Road, Żabbar, and Corradino Industrial Estate. Visit https://www.facebook.com/kulturabormla for more information.

And Siġġiewi is hosting a one-day event Milied fis-Siġġiewi today from 3pm onwards.

Villa Rundle Gardens in Victoria is home to another market running until Sunday, December 18, and the Magro Brothers are hosting The Magro Christmas Family Fest at the Savina Artisan Centre, Xewkija, until the end of the month.

For more information, click on the links above.

Cribs 

Mechanical crib in Żejtun

The mechanical crib at the Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Żejtun, which has been operating since 1947, will be open to the public again this year until Janury 8 from 9.30am to noon and from 4.30 to 7pm. There will also be a bazaar in the adjacent hall during the same opening hours.

Mgr Bishop Emmanuel Galea had envisioned the creation of this crib, which was the first of its kind in Malta, while Paul Pavia handled the mechanical work. At present, Pavia's nephew Joseph, takes care of the crib's upkeep.

The clothes of the figurines (pasturi) were the handwork of the Sisters of the Missionary Congregation of Jesus of Nazareth of the time.

Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Malta exhibition

The Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Malta is holding its annual exhibition of cribs at Palazzo Ferreria (in front of Pjazza Teatru Rjal) in Valletta, until December 30. Opening hours are from 9.30am to 7pm. Entrance is free.

Il-Qala tissaħħar bil-presepji 

A crib exhibition is being held at the Qala parish centre until January 8. It is open Monday to Saturday from 5 to 7pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to noon and from 5 to 9pm. On Boxing Day, doors will be open from 10am to 9pm.

Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem

The 13th edition of the popular Nativity Village opens in Għajnsielem today and runs until January 8. Opening days: today from 3 to 7pm; December 15, from 9.30am to noon (students’ edition); December 17, 4 to 7.30pm; December 18, from 11am to 2pm (mrng. children’s edition); Christmas Day, 4 to 7pm; December 26, from 2.30 to 7pm; December 27 from 4 to 7pm and December 30, from 4 to 7pm.

It will then be open on New Year's Day from 3 to 7pm and on January 8, from 2.30 to 7pm for the re-enactment of the Adoration of the Magi.

For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

ĊineXjenza – Stand and Deliver

ĊineXjenza returnts to the Spazju Kreattiv cinema today to engage in a conversation about the important roles that teachers have in forming young academics, and how their role has evolved during the years.

The event includes the screening of the Academy Award nominated 1998 film Stand and Deliver, which is based on the true story of Jaime Escalante, a Los Angeles high school teacher who inspired a group of disillusioned working-class Latino students to take the Calculus AP exam.

The film will be screened at 7pm. Afterwards, there will be a discussion, featuring guest speakers from the Malta Mathematical Society. They will also take questions from the audience.

For tickets and more information, visit kreattivita.org.

The Biggest Little Motor Show

The Die Cast and Scale Model Society is exhibiting over 1,800 miniature motor die-cast vehicles atits annual exhibition taking place in the main hall of Santa Venera Primary School within St Theresa College, Fleur-de-lys junction, Santa Venera.

These range from road cars, police cars, commercial and construction vehicles, vehicles from popular brands like Mercedes, Fords, Minis, Rolls Royce and Ferraris, movie cars from Batman and James Bond, vans, coaches and much more that vary in scales from1:64 till 1:16. There are also be some scratch-built models including the Maltese traditional buses.

Like in previous editions, the main attractions will be the authentic replica of Apron9 from the Malta International Airport, Malta’s unique Model circus among a variety of dioramas built by the exhibitors themselves.

The exhibition closes today. Opening hours: from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free of charge. More information can be found on the society’s facebook page www.facebook.com/dcsms2001. 

VISUAL ARTS

Mediterranean Dreams Part 2

Following his exhibition titled Mediterranean Dreams, Kenneth Zammit Tabona presents the second chapter in his idyllic depictions of our country’s way of life.

The over 30 watercolour works are 'fuoridentros' in which gardens, pockets of landscapes, chapels, watchtowers and Montgolfiers are observed through open windows, thus bringing the outside in.

Mediterranean Dreams 2, curated by Charlene Vella, Mdina, is on display at Xara Palace in Mdina until December 22. Part of the proceeds from sales will be donated to Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Consult the artist’s Facebook page for more information.

Nuances

An exhibition by Carmel Bonello and Peter Seychell is open at Gemelli Framing in Ta' Qali.

The title of the exhibition essentially defines a spectrum of inspirational sources, especially so when the whole enterprise is that between two artists who have an identifiable and very personalised style of expression.

Bonello is a veteran of the local art scene; with expressionism finding its way very earlier on into his oeuvre. He explores the world around him in full colour, black lines delineating the composition.

Seychell is a relative newcomer to the local art scene. However, his impressive intricate paintings have captured the attention of the art-loving public. 

Nuances runs until December 23. Consult this Facebook group for opening hours and more information.

Versatility

Veteran artist Joseph Barbara is exhibiting an array of his works, dating back to 2000, at Wignacourt Museum in Rabat.

The artist is renowned for recycling plastic mineral bottles to construct sculptures that deliver an environmental message. This exhibition, however, also includes his paintings which range from ones that have a strong pop-art imagery, featuring mostly ballroom dancers, to others having an oriental theme and on to multi-thematic collages.

Versatility runs until December 28. The museum is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.15pm.

Artsy Christmas

Christmas-related artworks and more by a number of artists are on show at the Art by the Seaside gallery in Senglea until the end of the month, following an extension.

The collective exhibition, as the name indicates, is linked to the Christmas season, having a wide range of hand-made arts, from candles, to jewellery to Christmas decorations and obviously wall hanging works.

Participating artists include Kevin Attard, Dave Calleja, David Debono, Rebecca Ranieri, Thomas Scerri and Kevin Sciberras, among many others.

Refer to the venue’s Facebook page for more information.

Don Heywood: Artist in Residence at the Phoenicia

Don Heywood, a distinguished British painter specialising in portraits and wildlife studies, is currently exhibiting at the Palm Court Lounge of the Phoenicia Hotel.

The artist is presenting paintings related to the seven important migratory birds that are found on the Maltese islands, these being the hawfinch, the goldfinch, the linnet, the greenfinch, the siskin, the serin and the chaffinch.

Also included in this exhibition are three large paintings of two endangered species of wild animals, the snow leopard and the polar bear.

The exhibition, curated by Louis Laganà, runs at Phoenicia Malta until January 1.

Art at the Corinthia Palace

The Corinthia Palace Hotel in Attard is hosting a collective exhibition of contemporary artworks by 13 local and international artists.

The paintings are from the Allura Art collection and range from landscapes and seascapes to florals and abstracts. They include new and previously unseen work.

The artists taking part are Andrew Borg, Christine Porter Lofaro, Jo Dounis, Kevin Sciberras, Debbie Bonello and Rosette Bonello from Malta and Christopher Saliba and Bob Cardona from Gozo. Foreign locals include British-Maltese painter Andrew Smith, Bulgarians Vania Goshe and Bogdan Dyulgerov, Natasha Dadush from Russia and Marianne Ogden from the US.

The exhibition runs until January 8. More information about the exhibition is available here.

100 years – Commemorating Frank Portelli’s Art and Life

A small retrospective exhibition dedicated to artist Frank Portelli, one of the pioneers of Maltese modernism, is on at the Camerone, MUŻA, Valletta until January 8.

The oeuvre of Portelli, who was born 100 years ago, is at times very personal, like in his masterpiece La Vie, while at others he experiments with his version of cubism, which he termed as ‘crystallised cubism’. 

100 years – Commemorating Frank Portelli’s Art and Life is a collaboration between MUŻA (Heritage Malta) and Frank Portelli’s family.

'The tree is saying things, in words before words' 

Catherine Cavallo, a contemporary painter who lives and works in Malta, is presenting her latest collection at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba.

Her work is rooted in observations of the everyday, and looks to both the pockets of serenity and the upheavals that life presents for her inspiration. This is evident in her evocative figure compositions which are influenced both by daily life and by current world situations.

The exhibition runs until January 8. For more information and opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.

I Landed. Malta

Spazju Kreattiv and the Marlands Project have collaborated on a new exhibition featuring works by French artists Edgar Sarin, Lucy Orta and Max Fouchy and Maltese counterpart Sheldon Saliba.

Guest artist Sarin explored the island during his art residency in Malta as part of the Marlands project. His immersive, multilayered art project is the result of productive dialogues with islanders specialising in craft, culture and science.

During this exhibition, one can also take a trip to other Mediterranean islands through the artists’ work: Orta will take visitors to the Balearic Islands, and Max Fouchy to Sicily.

I Landed. Malta is curated by Elena Posokhova and Vince Briffa.

After the exhibition closes on January 8, it will move on to Catania, Sicily; Palma, Mallorca; Nicosia, Cyprus and Mallorca, Spain. For more information, click here.

Expressions

An exhibition by Rachel Galea at Il-Ħaġar - Heart of Gozo Museum features 31 of her latest works inspired by Gozo’s landscape. 

The exhibition runs until January 10. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free.

For more information, click here.

Sights and sites

A new exhibition by Silvio John Camilleri at the King’s Own Band Club in Valletta investigates contemporary reality in which the ugliness of roads and pristine countryside have to co-exist as a dichotomy in Malta’s way of life.

Yet, the artist deciphers beauty even in the most inauspicious of locations, such as in the geometry of the road network and its juxtaposition with trees, streetlights and general urban elements.

Sights and Sites, curated by Fleur-Marie Ebejer, is on until January 11. Refer to the artist’s Facebook profile for more information.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Duminkani fil-Palazz: Home & Temple

An exhibition at the Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa tells of the special relationship between the palace and the neighbouring Dominican Order, especially in the post-war years.

Enemy war bombing in 1941 had left the Dominican community without a convent and a church, and they found temporary refuge beyond Vittoriosa. But they were called back by the need to fulfil their spiritual and educational mission among their people.

Eighty years ago, in August 1942, the Dominicans asked for temporary shelter at the Inquisitor’s Palace and, for almost two decades, the palace became the community’s home and temple.

The exhibition runs until January 8. The Inquisitor's Palace is open weekly from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm.

Honor Frost’s Malta: A Pioneer in the Centre of the Mediterranean

An exhibition highlighting underwater archaeologist Honor Frost’s connection to Malta is open at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

Besides honouring Frost’s considerable legacy, the exhibition aims to offer a snapshot of Frost’s work in Malta through illustrations, artefacts and even some of her diving equipment.

The exhibition runs until January 15. Entrance is free of charge. One may visit the museum daily from 9am to 4.30pm. 

Unseen and Unheard: Stories of Women Under Fire

The Storm Petrel Foundation is presenting an archival exhibition that sheds light on overlooked or previously unrecorded war narratives and microhistories from Malta and elsewhere.

It brings together items and artefacts drawn from different collections, with a primary focus on wartime experiences of women and girls.

The exhibition was inspired by a series of conversations between the NGO and Robert Attard, who had found a collection of letters written by a young German woman during World War II, some of which will be on display in the exhibition.

The exhibition is organised across five different rooms at the Storm Petrel Foundation’s premises in Attard, with each room represents a different era or focus.

The Storm Petrel Foundation has collaborated with Simon Cusens, Kim Dalli, Sharp Shoot Media, Media Coop, Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta, Sarah Chircop and Giuliana Fenech, Heritage Malta, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and Palazzo Falson.

The exhibition opens today and runs until April 14. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10.30am to 1pm. For more information, visit the foundation's Facebook page.

whatson@timesofmalta.com