MUSIC
Valletta Baroque Festival
Festivals Malta is once again organising the Valletta Baroque Festival from January 11 to 28 in various venues across Malta.
Under the artistic direction of Kenneth Zammit Tabona, the programme includes various recitals by foreign and local artists.
The festival will open with St John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta on January 11. It will feature the Valletta Baroque Ensemble and Malta’s national choir, KorMalta. The soloists will be Matteo Magistrali as Evangelista and Albert Buttigieg as Jesus, together with soprano Gillian Zammit, alto Raisa Marie Camilleri, tenor Nicholas Mulroy and bass Giacomo Pieracci.
Among other performances, there are Henry Purcell’s King Arthur by Vox Luminis on January 14; Salve Regina, a tribute to the sacred music inspired by the Virgin Mary, on January 16; Picking Flowers in the Recorder’s Garden of Delights featuring recorder virtuoso Erik Bosgraaf on January 19; and BaRock, a fusion of rock and baroque classics by the Rock Troupers and the ProMużika Ensemble, on January 27.
The main highlight this year will be the performance of Alessandro Stradella's oratorio San Giovanni Battista at the oratory of St John's Co-Cathedral, featuring the Valletta Baroque Ensemble and KorMalta right under Caravaggio's iconic painting Beheading of St John the Baptist. The oratorio will be presented on January 22 and 23.
Events will also be held at Verdala Palace in Buskett, the Chamber of Commerce in Valletta, the National Library, the Maritime Museum, San Anton Palace, Casino Maltese and various churches, including those of Tarxien and Żurrieq.
All the programme details can be found on festivals.mt/vbf and tickets are available from showshappening.com.
Chant d'amour
Soprano Cledia Micallef and pianist Elaine Mercieca will perform in a concert organised by the Barocco Foundation in collaboration with Din l-Art Ħelwa at Our Lady of Victory church, Valletta, on January 9 at 12.30pm.
The programme includes timeless classical compositions by Gluck, Wolf, Mozart, Chopin and Pergolesi, among others.
After the concert, patrons are invitedto the cellar of the church to watch a short documentary about the church, its history and its restoration.
Entrance to the concert is at a suggested donation of €10. One can obtain the tickets prior to the concert from the venue itself or by e-mailing baroccobookings@gmail.com or calling on 7968 0952.
Soprano Cledia Micallef (left) and pianist Elaine MerciecaMusic in the Silent City
The Anici Band and Social Club, in collaboration with the Mdina Metropolitan Chapter, is presenting an evening of music at St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina, on January 12 at 7.30pm.
The band will be under the direction of Joseph Vella. All proceeds will go to the Malta Trust Foundation.
The concert will be held under the patronage of President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
Tickets from showshappening.com.
Inauguration Concert: Oratory of the Onorati
The Jesuits Church Foundation is officially inaugurating the Oratory of the Onorati with a concert on January 13 at 7pm.
Built in 1613, and subsequently remodelled by architect Francesco Buonamici between 1657-59, the oratory has been restored to its full glory and is now being used as a liturgical and cultural space.
Although the oratory was first used on St Cecilia's Day on November 22, 2023, this concert will celebrate the completion of the restoration project with a brand new work commissioned by the foundation especially for the occasion.
The work, Vita Beatae Mariae Virginis by the foundation's artistic director Alexander Vella Gregory, takes its inspiration from the cycle of seven paintings by Stefano and Alessio Erardi. It will be performed by sopranos Marouska Attard, Dorothy Baldacchino and Mariette Borg, with the composer at the continuo.
Entrance to the event is free.
The Oratory of the Onorati during a concert on St Cecilia Day on November 22. Photo: Facebook300th anniversary from the foundation of Floriana
The St Paul Metropolitan Orchestra, under the direction of Mro Mark Agius, will perform in a concert celebrating the 300th anniversary of the foundation of Floriana at St Publius parish church on January 13 at 7.30pm.
The orchestra will perform sacred works from local and international composers, including Mozart, Bach, Stradella, Brodsky, Mark Agius, Lorenc and Mascagni.
They will be accompanied by sopranos Karen Darmenia and Astrid Cacciatore, contralto May Caruana, tenors Andrei Daranyi and Joseph Aquilina, and baritones Ivan Vella and James Agius.
Tickets are available from showshappening.com, or by calling 7704 2856 or from the parish office.
Do Re Mi Meets Mi
The event's posterThe Malta Philharmomic Orchestra continues with its series of concerts for children at the Robert Samut Hall in Floriana on January 14 at 11am.
The musical adventure proceeds with the introduction of the character of Mi (flute). Children will have the opportunity to forge connections with this charming musical character created by scriptwriter Simon Bartolo, listen to professional music performances by Clara Galea (flute) and friends, and participate in an engaging age-appropriate workshop, which starts at 10am.
The workshop has limited space and it is on first-come, first-served basis. Those who would like to attend are to send an e-mail to development@maltaorchestra.com to reserve a place. Children under five years of age must be supervised at all times.
Tickets for the concert are avaialble from showshappening.com.
THEATRE
Lassallian Nights 2024
The De La Salle College is presenting another edition of its annual soirée from January 12 to 14.
This year’s event features Once Upon a Curse, which follows four siblings who are struggling to make ends meet and, therefore, go work in a castle. Here, the youngest brother is cursed and turns into a flower. The other siblings embark on a journey to reverse the curse.
For tickets, visit ticketwave.mt/lasallian-nights-2024.
The show's posterMISCELLANEOUS
The Politics of Technology
The Philosophy Sharing Foundation is holding its first talk of the year on January 8.
Francois Zammit will be delving into the very essence of technology and how it intertwines with the concepts of justice, democracy and societal well-being.
The talk will be held at the Aula Prima of the University of Malta, Valletta Campus at 6pm. Tickets are available from philosophysharing.org.
Untold stories of the LGBTQI+ community
Saydon Studio, producers of the critically acclaimed theatrical work It-Teatru tal-Miskin, is collaborating with MGRM to explore the profound social commentary around an upcoming new piece of theatre – Il-Każin tal-Imqarbin.
The studio will be holding a community workshop at Maori, Valletta, on January 10 at 7pm with their focus centring on understanding the LGBTQI+ community’s experiences in Malta during the 1980s-2000s.
Through focus group, the informal workshop aims to uncover untold stories and insights from that era, shedding light on how the LGBTQI+ community has evolved since.
For more information, contact info@saydonstudio.com.
Kutri u kotba (Letteratura Xitwija)
The Jesuits’ Church Foundation and Merlin Publishers are hosting an evening of literature at the Jesuits’ church in Valletta on January 11 at 7.30pm.
Established and emerging authors are taking part: Roberta Bajada, Antoinette Borg, Leanne Ellul, Noah Fabri, Lon Kirkop and Matthew Schembri.
The event will be in Maltese. Entrance is free.
Festa ċitru
The 11th edition of the orange festival in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund is taking place at the President's Kitchen Garden in Attard on January 14 from 10am onwards.
A variety of products made from oranges, mostly picked from the presidential gardens, will be sold. Also on sale will be olive oil from the olive trees at the kitchen garden.
Visit the event's Facebook page for more information.
VISUAL ARTS
Apotheosis
Following Inaction is a Weapon of Mass Destruction (2022), Darren Tanti is exhibiting his latest collection of works at the Oratory of the Jesuit Church Complex in Archbishop Street, Valletta.
Using a mix of contemporary forms of art and traditional aesthetic languages, the artist is presenting a hybrid body of work that addresses the current state of humankind and its ultimate call: holiness.
It includes mostly sculptures and objet d’art incorporating less traditional aspects like neon tubes and perspex, which can be perceived as standalone installations making up one coherent exhibition.
Apotheosis, curated by Melanie Erixon and organised by the Valletta Cultural Agency, is open every day between 9am and 4pm (excluding Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve) until January 9.
One of Darren Tanti's works on display at the Oratory of the Jesuits' Foundation. Photo: Facebook/Valletta Cultural AgencyDe Novo
Sylvana Debono is holding her debut exhibition at Gemelli Art Gallery in Ta' Qali.
While not new to the public sphere, this is Debono’s first contribution to the artistic world as a mixed media artist.
Debono looks at the world around her in a new way; not only is she a new kid on the block artistically, but she also brings a freshness of outlook to the current artistic milieu.
Her pieces range from unusually large pieces to small, intimate works such as those featuring creatures great and small.
De Novo, at the Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, is on between January 12 and 27.
Artichokes by Sylvana DebonoReflections
A collective exhibition by Tomas Hed, Kristina Huxley and Jane Birchall is being held at Arthall Gozo in Victoria.
Hed is presenting (mis)conceptions of our daily mayhem but also delves into the unknown that somehow we all feel inhabits us. Black canvases open up spaces that escape the usual scenery and allow narratives to be discovered and interpreted. Using Goya as a reference for some of his paintings, he also explores the limitations of a world made up of our senses and the surrounding darkness.
Huxley participates with two paintings, Cataclysm I and Cataclysm II. At first sight, one might consider her paintings calm and still, but at a second glance, they become catalysts for debate, reactions and interactions. In other words, one can feel the transience in the permanent surface of the canvas.
Birchall is presenting her Lava Collection, ceramic works whose textures and colours remind oneof the natural beauty of Gozo; intense, arid and overwhelming. Each piece is hand built in stoneware with multiple layers of glaze and several firings. They are named after an area or an event it is associated with.
The exhibition runs until January 28. For more information, including opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.
New Forms
In a bold departure from the traditional gallery setting, James Vella Clark is exhibiting his latest collection of abstract expressionist works at FORM's home showroom in Valley Road, Msida.
Themed New Forms, the 16 large new paintings on canvas seek to ignite a conversation about the intersection of art and living spaces, inviting viewers to rediscover how art can seamlessly integrate into personal spaces as a daily reminder of the enduring beauty in our lives.
The exhibition runs until the end of January. For more information, read this Times of Malta review.
Sundays at Emil's by James Vella ClarkAcross the Harbour
Academic, classicist and Faculty of Arts member Carmel Serracino steps into a new realm as he showcases his first solo exhibition, Across the Harbour.
Through the watercolour exhibition, Serracino hopes to share his love for Cottonera, where he was born, raised and still resides, and convey the beauty that lies in its streets, architecture and the grandeur of the Grand Harbour.
The collection features land and streetscapes, some of which were painted en plein air and others that were conceived entirely in the studio.
The exhibition, curated by Charlene Vella, is open throughout January 2024 at the Palm Court Lounge, The Phoenicia Malta.
Bormla Old Dock by Carm SerracinoOTHER EXHIBITIONS
The Crib’s Journey with St Francis
A Christmas crib exhibition, a joint collaboration between Heritage Malta and Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepji Għawdex Malta, has been launched at the Grand Master’s Palace, under the auspices of President George Vella.
Titled The Crib’s Journey with St Francis, this exhibition forms part of a string of initiatives around the globe, organised by the International Friends of the Crib Federation, celebrating the 800th anniversary since the first crib was created by St Francis in Greccio, Italy.
On display are some 60 cribs by Maltese and foreign artists, crafted out of different materials, including papier-mâché, glass and jablo.
Heritage Malta published an informative full-colour catalogue about this exhibition, with a general introduction about Christmas traditions and the Maltese crib, and a limited edition and numbered 15-figure nativity set.
The exhibition runs until January 21. All profits will be directed to the Malta Community Chest Fund. Entrance is through Merchants Street.
A detail of a crib on display.Civil Splendour
An exhibition at the Malta Postal Museum & Arts Hub is giving visitors a rare opportunity to view at close quarters the exquisitely tailored and embroidered civil uniforms worn by high-ranking British and colonial officials at state occasions in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Among others, Civil Splendour shows all five grades of the uniform worn in the 19th century as well as their evolution into the foreign service uniform in the 1950s. The latter is still worn today by ambassadors and the marshal and vice-marshal of the diplomatic corps.
The exhibition is being held at the Malta Postal Museum, 135, Archbishop Street, Valletta, until January 27. Opening hours are from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.
Fare Convito: The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta (16th to 18th century)
A range of maiolica and porcelain vessels, used both for display and for serving food during formal banquets in Hospitaller Malta, is going on display at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa.
The exhibition, entitled Fare Convito: The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta (16th to 18th century), delves deeply into how food, art and politics came together in the ritual of baroque banqueting – the formal and communal sharing of food and drink – between the 16th and the 18th century in Malta.
During that period, under the Order of St John, Malta imported many aspects of the European dining culture, mainly from Renaissance Italy and from Rococo France. An especially striking feature was the Convito – the formal banquet – which provided a theatrical backdrop for political discussion and intrigue.
They include two late Renaissance plates belonging to Cardinal Farnese’s famous credenza, a Chinese Ming porcelain import to Malta, important examples of South Italian heraldic plates, and a wide range of French and North Italian faience, including examples in the Rococo style of Moustier.
The exhibition runs until March.
In the Footsteps of the Hospitallers: 900 Years of Chivalry, Faith & Charity
A garment on display at the exhibition.The National Library of Malta in Valletta is hosting an exhibition about the Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM).
The exhibition, curated by Maroma Camilleri, is dedicated to the memory of a prominent Maltese member of the Order of Malta, the Bailiff Fra’ John Edward Critien, Grand Prior of Rome, who passed away on December 3, 2022.