Spring heralds the arrival of the Bir Miftuħ International Music Festival, organised annually by Din l-Art Ħelwa at the medieval church of Santa Marija ta’ Bir Miftuħ, limits of Gudja.
The church, with its medieval architecture and perfect acoustics, provides an exceptional setting for the concerts.
The festival has an international flavour, with the participation of high-calibre international and local performers.
This year’s edition comprises three concerts.
Beau Soir
Friday at 8pm
Vocal and harp recital by mezzo-soprano Claire Ghigo and harpist Britt Arend.
The audience will be presented works by Reynaldo Hahn, Camille Saint-Saens, Gabriel Fauré, Eva Dell’Acqua, Claude Debussy, Ernest Chausson, Pauline Viardot, Maria Malibran, Jules Massenet and Charles Gounod.
The harp is sponsored by the Embassy of France and the Alliance Française de Malte – Méditerranée.
Choral recital by the London Oriana Choir
Sunday, May 28 at 7.30pm
The London Oriana Choir is one of Britain’s leading amateur choral groups. The programme includes works by Thomas Louis de Victoria, Claudio Monteverdi, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Eric Whitacre, Bob Chilcott, James MacMillan, Elizabeth Alexander, William Hawley, Mia Makaroff and Moses Hogan.
Vocal, flute and piano performance by the Trio Sweet Birds
Friday, June 9 at 8pm
The Trio Sweet Birds, comprised of Katharina Ruckgaber (soprano), Tatjana Ruhland (flute) and Christian Schmitt (piano) was founded in 2013. They will perform compositions by Georg Friedrich Handel, Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, Giulio Caccini, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ernst von Dohnanyi, Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Sir Henry Bishop.
This concert is sponsored by the German-Maltese Circle and the Goethe Institute.
Tickets for the concerts and refreshments are against a donation per concert per person. Block tickets for three concerts and refreshments and block tickets for two concerts and refreshments are also available against a donation.
For more information, call Din l-Art Ħelwa office on 2122 5952/2122 0358 from Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 1.30pm or send an e-mail to info@dinlarthelwa.org.