November 27 to December 3, 2023

MUSIC

Ian Paice featuring Purpendicular

Drummer Ian Paice, the sole remaining founding member of Deep Purple, will perform at the Aria Complex on December 3, as part of The Human Mechanic Tour 2023.

Together with a band of seasoned musicians, Purpendicular, they will play the best of Paice’s extensive catalogue, including classic hits from Deep Purple and Whitesnake.

The event is organised by Rock ‘n’ Malta and NNG Promotions with the support of Festivals Malta and Arts Council Malta. Tickets from showshappening.com.

Read more about the Paice in this Times of Malta interview.

The Beauty of Bel Canto

Malta Opera is presenting a concert consisting of popular Italian repertoire including works by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi at the Manoel Theatre on November 28 at 7.30pm.

It will feature sopranos Claire Debono and Nicola Said, tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens and baritone Charles Buttigieg, accompanied by pianist Maria-Elena Farrugia.

Tickets are available from teatrumanoel.mt.

Mediterranean Day Concert

Award-winning singer-songwriter Tsungai Tsikirai, who is from Zimbabwe, and her band will perform in a concert celebrating the Mediterranean in all its richness and diversity at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on November 28 at 7.30pm.

The event is funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation, which believes in the transformative power of music.

Attendance is for free but bookings must be made on kreattivita.org.

Malta International Organ Festival

The 10th edition of the Malta International Organ Festival continues this week with a solo organ concert by Auguto Belau (Spain) featuring Spanish composers at St Mary parish church, Għaxaq, on November 28 at 7.15pm; an organ and voice concert of sacred arias featuring the Voci di Italian Opera Florence at Marsaxlokk parish church on December 2 at 7.15pm; and a solo organ concert featuring works by Mozart, Lemmens, Guilmant and others by organist Bernhard Gferer (Austria) at the Xewkija Rotunda on December 3 at 5pm.

Entrance to these concerts is free of charge. For all the details, visit maltainternationalorganfestival.com.

Read more about the festival in this Times of Malta preview.

Malta International Choir Festival

Twenty-four choirs will be participating in the fifth edition of the Malta International Christmas Choir Festival being held in various churches in the north of Malta between December 1 and 3.

These groups are from the UK, Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Croatia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Malta.

On December 1, there will be concerts at San Ġwann and Naxxar parish churches at 7.15pm and at Mġarr (Malta) parish church at 7.45pm.

On December 2, concerts will be held at St Paul’s Bay’s parish church at 7pm, at Burmarrad parish church at 7.15pm and at Qawra parish church at 7.30pm.

On December 3, the choirs will animate mass at the Mtarfa, Attard, Manikata and Mellieħa parish churches at 11am and at the Divine Mercy sanctuary, Naxxar, and Balzan parish church at 11.30am.

A final, grand concert will be held at the Mosta basilica at 8.15pm. The concert will be televised live on Xejk TV.

Entrance to all concerts is free of charge. The festival is organised by Leon Promotions Malta and Euro Art Italy, in collaboration with Reġjun Tramuntana.

MPO Chamber Series 3

In its third Chamber series concert, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major and Dvořák’s Quintet in G Major at Robert Samut Hall in Floriana on December 3 at 11am.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

St Cecilia concert

The Għaqda Nazzjonali Kazini tal-Banda is this year holding its annual concert celebrating St Cecilia Day on December 3 at the Manoel Theatre, under the patronage of President George Vella.

The Soċjetà Filarmonika Sliema, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, will play under the baton of Lesley Tabone.

The programme includes works by local composers such as the former Sliema band directors Joseph Galea and Ronnie Debattista, and others in connection with the society such as Joseph Magri and Joseph Sammut, as well as foreigner composers Mahler, Pusceddu, Hautvast, Borodin, De Han and Botti, composer of the Inno Sliema.

Admission to the concert is free but tickets need to be obtained by calling 9944 3460 or 9944 7434 or by e-mail to bandasliema@gmail.com.

Ira Losco & Orchestra

Ira Losco is performing a full concert with a 28-piece orchestra for the first time ever at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on December 2 and 3.

Accompanied by her band Losco will be playing her biggest hits to date alongside some well-known songs, arranged by maestro Aurelio Belli.

The concert, produced by iCAN, will be held on December 2 at 8pm and on December 3 at 6pm.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

THEATRE

Mitt ruħ

Inspired by Ġorġ Mallia’s collection of micro-stories, Victor Iacono has written and is directing a new play at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on December 1-3 at 8pm.

The production entwines the stories of various characters in imaginary situations that sometimes bear an uncanny resemblance to reality.

The cast is made up of Peter Galea, Theresa Gauci, Clint Chircop, Alison Abela, Kyle Mangani and Alexia Micallef.

For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

Minn ġot-taġen għal ġon-nar

A comedy inspired by a Trevor Zahra play is being staged at the Catholic Institute in Floriana on December 2 and 3, with proceeds going to Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

David Muscat directs the play which he wrote with Loralie Scerri. The cast is made up of residents at the Siġġiewi home and other actors.

Tickets are available here.

TOI TOI Baby Series: Ho, Ho, Ho!

TOI TOI, the Manoel’s theatre and learning programme, is staging another production in their Baby Series for the very young ones (ages 0-4) on December 2 and 3.

Ho, Ho, Ho! sees two siblings on an adventure to discover the magic of Christmas.

The show will be enhanced with enchanting decorations and catchy Christmas carols.

There will be two shows at 9.30 and 11am on both days. For tickets, visit teatrumanoel.mt.

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DANCE

The Nutcracker

Moveo Dance Company is presenting its take on the classical ballet composed by Tchaikovsky at the Valletta Campus Theatre from December 1 to 3 and from 8-10.

The plot, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child’s imagination, is an adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Lighting Up Valletta For Christmas

On November 27, Valletta’s Christmas lights will be switched on at 6pm and local band The Travellers will launch their Christmas single Tridx Tkun Tiegħi Dan il-Milied? featuring Ira Losco, Gianluca Bezzina, and Michela at 8.30pm.

The Valletta Cultural Agency is hosting its Christmas programme until December 31 in Valletta’s main squares and streets, while the Christmas lights and decorations will continue into January.

There will also be a live Christmas Tree near Parliament, a crib and various family activities. For all the details, visit the Valletta Cultural Agency Facebook page.

Talk on Napoleon Bonaparte

To mark the release of the film Bonaparte, the Alliance Française is holding a public lecture by professor and historian Alain Blondy about Napoleon Bonaparte and Malta on November 29 at 8pm.

The event will be held in French at the Alliance Française, 7/8 Timber Wharf Office 1&2, Marsa. Attendance is for free but booking is required by sending an e-mail to culture@alliancefr.org.mt.

Playcon

Malta’s largest game development and esports expo is taking place at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali from November 30 to December 3.

There will be interactive and educational activities, esports competitions, cosplay showcases and video game development exhibitions with various prizes to be won all weekend.

The event is free to the public on December 2 and 3 between 10.30am and 6.30pm.

Playcon is organised by GMR with the support of Gaming Malta and the Ministry for the Economy, European Funds, and Lands. The programme, a list of exhibitors and all the details are available, here.

Gigantic

The Kirkop local council is organising another edition of its Christmas market on December 2 and 3.

Among others, there will be various handmade crafts for sale, besides food and drink stalls. Proceeds will go in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

The market will be held in St Benedict Street, Kirkop Square, St Leonard Square and Żerniq Square on December 2 from 5 to 10pm and on the 3rd from 9am to 5pm.

Visit the event’s Facebook page for more information.

Christmas at the Fort

On December 2 and 3, the main areas at Fort St Elmo will be transformed into a Christmas village featuring various family-oriented activities, including a meet-and-greet with Santa, Maltese folk songs, a variety show with a choir performance, a crib exhibition, artisan stands and traditional Christmas delicacies.

Opening hours: December 2 from 6 to 11pm (last admission 10.30pm) and December 3 from 10am to 8pm (last admission 7.30pm). Entrance is free.

On both days, Heritage Malta is organising a shuttle service from Floriana Park & Ride to St Elmo’s Fort.

For more information, look up the event’s Facebook page or click here.

Christmas village in Mosta

The Mosta parish is setting up a Christmas village on the church’s parvis on December 2 and 3, featuring a varied entertainment programme and food stalls, besides a live crib and a train ride with Santa.

A Swieqi Christmas 2023

The Swieqi Civic Centre will be transformed into a Christmas market from December 1 to 3.

There will an artisan market, live painting session, open air cinema (on December 1 and 2, from 9pm onwards), fun attractions for children and live entertainment.

More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.

The Magical Illuminated Trail and Village

The Magical Illuminated Trail at Verdala Palace will run from December 1 to January 7, with proceeds going once again to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Among others, one will find a captivating Mythical Tree, the ethereal Flower Land, the enchanting Fantasy Garden and the cosmic Space Explorer World.

One can also witness the beauty of the first ever life-size Illuminated Crib in Malta, be surrounded by the magical glow of thousands of twinkling fairy lights and encounter countless cartoon creatures.

Opening hours: 5 to 9pm. For tickets, visit illuminatedtrailmalta.com or showshappening.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Nature Capture

Roberta Scerri is presenting her first solo exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts courtyard in Valletta until November 29.

Twelve artworks in acrylic, pencil, chalk pastel and oil pastel will be on display.

The overarching theme is environmental awareness and global fauna diversity, calling for action towards protecting the natural beauty that is fighting to adapt itself among humans.

The exhibition is being held in aid of BirdLife Malta and Moviment Graffitti.

For more information and opening hours, click here.

Reverie

A utopian and unspoilt world, free from human influence, is being represented in the new collection of paintings by Jo Dounis at The Phoenicia Malta’s Palm Court Lounge throughout November.

Captured with mixed media and painted over a base layer which is textured and consequently adds depth and three-dimensionality to each canvas, each painting is of a perfect natural scene, one which might be experienced in a daydream, or a fantasy.

None of the compositions include any hint of buildings, nor signs of civilisation or any other human interference. The focus is solely on nature and its enormity.

Natural vistas, whether experienced in her home country or on her extensive travels, are an infinite source of inspiration for Dounis. The result is that some paintings can easily be associated with familiar Mediterranean landscapes, others are inspired by Nordic or other faraway scenes.

Reverie, curated by Charlene Vella, is open until the end of November.

Art exhibition in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza

An exhibition featuring paintings, sculptures and ceramics donated by Maltese and foreign artists is open at the Parliament building in Valletta.

These artworks will be eventually auctioned online as part of the Festa ta’ Ġenerożità, an annual celebration in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

The exhibition runs until November 30. The public can visit from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm and on the weekend between 9am and 12.30pm. One has to present their ID card.

The catalogue of all the works of art and more information on the auction are available on www.dtpauction.com or www.belgraviaauctions.com.

The Festa ta Ġenerożità will take place at the home’s Siġġiewi car park on January 1 and everyone is invited to attend.

ĠUF

Rebecca Bonaci is holding her first solo exhibition at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

Referencing the Maltese word for ‘womb’, ĠUF explores the theme of contemporary motherhood, informed by the rich prehistoric remains and rituals found in the Maltese archipelago. The iconography and imagery from the primordial period are reinterpreted by Bonaci and her curatorial team, with the artworks in dialogue with artefacts from the period as well as other contemporary objects.

Bonaci also draws from her personal experience of family bonding, femininity, recent social history, child bearing and motherhood presenting a dialogue between past and present.

The exhibition, curated by Sarah Chircop and supported by Arts Council Malta, runs until December 2. 

Read more about it in this Times of Malta interview with the artist.

Froġa / Farrago

Sebastian Tanti Burlò is exhibition a collection of oil paintings at Sliema’s R Gallery.

The artist is known for his political cartoons in the Times of Malta but here he swaps his pen for the brush while retaining his unapologetic social commentary, a flair for the absurd, satirical strokes and an underlying subversive narrative. Nature, journalism and the world’s issues are represented in this exhibition.

The tragicomical is investigated through an ideal romantisation of our country and how society has evolved, together with comments on world issues that trouble the world at large. 

The exhibition, hosted at R Gallery of 26, Tignè Street, Sliema, runs until December 3. For more information, read this Times of Malta preview.

Eye Sea You

Artist Trevor Diacono is presenting his latest collection of works at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba.

Diacono comes from a family of artists that includes his grandfather Victor Diacono, one of Malta’s foremost 20th-century sculptors, and his uncle, Andrew Diacono, a name that needs no introduction among local art aficionados.

The artist claims that he sees his journey “as a continuous, often tormenting pursuit to translate the intangible depths of emotion and perception into tangible, three-dimensional form”.

He pusues his artistic family’s legacy that explores the caricatural in society and beyond. In this exhibition, he carries this on in his sculptures of fish, humanising them with their witty titles. The underlying theme is the marine, including even undulating waves.

Eye Sea You, curated by Melanie Erixon, is on until December 3.

Pathos

Chris Ebejer is presenting a new collection of works in various media that include terracotta, bronze porcelain and marble at MUŻA in Valletta.

The artist’s source of inspiration is mythology and gods, and the Mediterranean spirit. The figurative sculptures, as well as the reliefs, are the result of long hours of deep thought.

The sculptor worked on these works both in Malta and Italy, the latter of which is where he spends long periods of time working in bronze and marble.

Pathos runs until December 10. Entrance is free and opening hours are Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Collectively Solo III

Gallery 23 in Balzan is hosting the third in a series of collective exhibitions from December 3 to 15.

The idea behind the Collectively Solo exhibitions started in 2020 when the solo exhibitions booked at the gallery had to be postponed due to the pandemic. In December that year, the artists were invited to exhibit together.

This year, the gallery is giving the opportunity to emerging artists to exhibit alongside more established artists. The collection offers a wide range of  artworks and includes paintings and ceramics, from figurative to landscapes together with a selection of abstracts, all in a variety of mediums and tones.

Opening hours: Wednesdays 6.30 to 8pm and Sundays from 10.30am to 12.30pm. One can also visit by appointment by calling 9942 8272 or e-mailing info@gallery23malta.com.

A House of Glass

Jon Grech’s third solo exhibition in a career spanning over three decades is taking place at Camilleri Paris Mode in Rabat.

Rather reclusive and reluctant to exhibit, this exhibition finds the artist, who is in his late 40s, at the height of his creative power, showing a technical bravura that those familiar with his work have grown accustomed to.

The title of the exhibition points towards transparency, towards the viewer as a voyeur. It refers also to fragmentation relating to visual perspective and a juxtaposition of narratives into disconcerting scenarios.

The exhibition is on until mid-December.

APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale

The APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale is holding its fourth edition under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci.

This year’s edition is re-igniting the significance of the Mediterranean as a geographical and cultural region, this time harking back to the multi-forms of mythological, religious, and spiritual deities. Hence the theme title of Mediterranean Goddesses.

The theme of spiritual and species fertility, rich within the concentrated Mediterranean soil and sea, can, albeit its utopian sub-text, offer an alternative to the political reality plaguing our world today. This notion develops upon the theme of the 2020 Mdina Biennale: Regaining a Paradise Lost: The Role of the Arts, and that of the 2017 edition: The Mediterranean: A Sea of Conflicting Spiritualities. ​

As part of the Changing Gear project, an international conference focusing on Mediterranean Modern art will be organised in collaboration with the APS Mdina Contemporary Art Biennale, offering an opportunity for academics, researchers, and artists to engage with the history of Mediterranean modern art and with the exhibition theme on November 28.

The biennale runs until December 15. For more information, visit mdinabiennale.com/.

Revelations

A solo exhibition by Isabel Warrington is open for viewing at Gemelli Art Gallery/Framing Studio, Ta’ Qali Crafts Village, Ta’ Qali.

The artworks are an introspective journey by the artist, executed mostly in watercolour, inks and acrylic. However, many of the paintings also include items like buttons and bits and pieces that she collects and then uses to inject opulence into her pieces, giving them a theatrical feel.

The artist’s love for the environment comes into play and she uses recyclables to their optimum effect. There is a recurring character throughout most of the pieces that encourages the viewer to ponder on the meaning behind each narrative and interpret it in their own way.

The exhibition is open until December 23. Opening hours are Monday to Friday: 8am to 2.30pm, Saturday: 8am to noon.

Emotions of the Spirit

A collection of 28 works by Ivan Grixti is open for visitors at Level O, SkyParks Business Centre, MIA, Luqa, until the end of December.

Works include several portraits, including a self-portrait, that of homeless men and of Pope Benedict. There are also abstracts and a depiction of war, among others.

Grixti has just returned from Poznan, Poland where he lived, studied and worked as an educator for the last 12 years. There he mastered the language and attended several art courses. He graduated B.A. (Hons) in Education: Technical Drawing and Design & Technology (2001-05) from the University of Malta and then attended a post-graduate course at the Fine Arts Institute Marie-Curie Sklodowska, Lublin, Poland (2021-2022).

In Malta, he studied under Anthony (Tony) Demicoli, Paul Vella Critien, Anthony (Anton) Calleja and Philip Agius. He has exhibited in Malta, Poland and France.

New Forms

In a bold departure from the traditional gallery setting, James Vella Clark will be exhibiting his latest collection of abstract expressionist works at FORM’s home showroom located in Valley Road.

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 January.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Ancient Tea With New Glamour

The China Cultural Centre in Malta is hosting an exhibition under the theme of ‘Tea for Harmony’, co-organised with the Xi’an Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

Featuring intriguing displays, artefacts, paintings and photographs from the city of Xi’an, this new exhibition opens a window into the enduring significance of tea in Chinese culture.

A Tang-style gilded tea set made of bronze gold and silver is the main attraction. Other exhibits include a batch of royal teaware items that were unearthed in 1987 at the ancient Buddhist Famen Temple in northwest Shaanxi and a modern reprinted thread-bound edition of The Classic of Tea, considered to be the first known monograph on tea in the world, written by Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Tang Dynasty.

One may visit the exhibition, which will remain open until the end of this year at the China Cultural Centre, 173, Melita Street, Valletta. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to noon, and from 1.30 to 4pm. Entrance is free. Reservation is advised for group visits at events2023ccc@gmail.com.

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. 

Several workshops will be organised throughout the duration of the exhibition, addressing topics such as crib-making, crib accessories and crib figurines. Lectures on the history of Christmas cribs will also be held.

Heritage Malta will be publishing 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.

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 being exhibited at the Romegas Hall, National Museum of Archaeology, until the end of December.

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.

Admission is free. The exhibition will move to the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa from January until March 2024. A booklet will be available for sale at both exhibitions.

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whatson@timesofmalta.com