As one returning Maltese migrant observed recently in reference to her home island: "It's just one big bloody building site, isn't it".
Well yes it is and getting even more built up... if that's possible. The English artist Graham Woodall knows Malta well and his latest exhibition illustrates the rape of our island by the developer. He has called the exhibition Besieged, for obvious reasons. And he states: "Besieged is a reflective collection of art work, based on first-hand observations and drawings around Malta".
The exhibition, which is spread between the terrace gallery and the main hall at St James, contains a number of structures. These are made from wood, cardboard and hand-made paper, using pulp from recycled supplies. There are also found objects. Mixed with various binders and colours, the structures become very strong and waterproof. Most of the work on show originates from insitu drawings. Pencil and painted studies are developed into large canvases, low relief panels and 3D structures. Besieged will run until May 14.
Another interesting showing at St James this month is being held in the top galleries. It is a Contemporary Furniture Exhibition, which is being mounted by the Malta Furniture Manufacturing Organisation.
There is quite a bit of theatre in the theatre-in-the-round at St James this month. First up there is Curtain Raiser's production of the musical play Once Upon a Toy. This takes us into the secrets of what toys get up to inside a toy shop when no humans are around. Written by Patrick Vella and with original music by Dominic Galea, it plays from April 8 to April 11 and again the following weekend on April 14 and 15. This is obviously a family show and there will be matinées on each of the days.
Between April 19 and 21 Stagecoach Theatre School students will be staging a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in the theatre-in-the-round at St James.
Also in the theatre-in-the-round this month will be theatrencores production of Shadows and Gods, which we have covered further down this page.
Again at St James this month the all female theatre group Du will present a reworking of the Mediaeval Morality and Mystery Plays. The piece deals with the journey of EveryWoman through the thematic and metaphoric trials and tribulations of Christ during chosen episodes of His Passion. This will take place at St James this coming Thursday.
Another all-female play will be the two-hander Ophelia's Maids, which is being staged by a new name to us: Orange is Orange. It will also be put on in the Music Room, but this time on April 14 and 15.
As usual there is a lot happening musically at the centre this month. Tomorrow evening at St Catherine's (over the road) dancer Sandra Mifsud and percussionist Renzo Spiteri will present a Dance Meditation. This will be repeated on Saturday evening at the same venue. On Wednesday evening in the Music Room at St James, there will be a concert of Sacred Music from Tunisia.
Then next Friday vocalist Deborah Harrison together with musicians Lino Cauchi, Ronnie Caruana and Joe Micallef present an evening of Spirituals in the Music Room at St James at 8 p.m.
There will be another series of concerts at St Catherine's throughout the month. Next Sunday at 11 a.m., the New Choral Singers will present a varied programme of music by Tchaikovsky, Gounod, Rossini, Faure and two of our own composing talents Carmelo Pace and Alex Vella Gregory. Then, the same evening at St Catherine's Tanya Chircop - violin and Natasha Chircop - organ will play Biber Mystery Sonatas for violin and keyboard.
On April 19 at 12.30 p.m, talented harpsichord musician Ramona Zammit will give a lunchtime recital at St Catherine's. One week later on April 26, at the same time... soprano Marita Bezzina will give a recital of Operatic Arias accompanied by Michelle Cachia Castelletti. Then finally in April on the last Sunday of the month at the usual time slot of 11 a.m, there will be an oboe, flute, violin and bassoon recital.
All this plus World Book Day on April 22. To mark this year's WBD, a list has been published of the 10 books the nation (The US) cannot live without. Top of the list is... Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice... Hmm... Interesting to see that The Bible comes in at only number six. It's even beaten by Harry Potter (number four). This month's Valletta Creative Forum will deal with Creativity and Innovation in our Local Communities. This will take place at St James on April 28. On the same subject: Frans Winther, the resident composer at the Odin Theatre Copenhagen will be conducting a two-day intensive workshop to explore the rhythm of the performance and the actor's music. Actors, musicians, singers, dancers, directors and composers will work together concretely using voice, song, improvisations and montage.
Well yes it is and getting even more built up... if that's possible. The English artist Graham Woodall knows Malta well and his latest exhibition illustrates the rape of our island by the developer. He has called the exhibition Besieged, for obvious reasons. And he states: "Besieged is a reflective collection of art work, based on first-hand observations and drawings around Malta".
The exhibition, which is spread between the terrace gallery and the main hall at St James, contains a number of structures. These are made from wood, cardboard and hand-made paper, using pulp from recycled supplies. There are also found objects. Mixed with various binders and colours, the structures become very strong and waterproof. Most of the work on show originates from insitu drawings. Pencil and painted studies are developed into large canvases, low relief panels and 3D structures. Besieged will run until May 14.
Another interesting showing at St James this month is being held in the top galleries. It is a Contemporary Furniture Exhibition, which is being mounted by the Malta Furniture Manufacturing Organisation.
There is quite a bit of theatre in the theatre-in-the-round at St James this month. First up there is Curtain Raiser's production of the musical play Once Upon a Toy. This takes us into the secrets of what toys get up to inside a toy shop when no humans are around. Written by Patrick Vella and with original music by Dominic Galea, it plays from April 8 to April 11 and again the following weekend on April 14 and 15. This is obviously a family show and there will be matinées on each of the days.
Between April 19 and 21 Stagecoach Theatre School students will be staging a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in the theatre-in-the-round at St James.
Also in the theatre-in-the-round this month will be theatrencores production of Shadows and Gods, which we have covered further down this page.
Again at St James this month the all female theatre group Du will present a reworking of the Mediaeval Morality and Mystery Plays. The piece deals with the journey of EveryWoman through the thematic and metaphoric trials and tribulations of Christ during chosen episodes of His Passion. This will take place at St James this coming Thursday.
Another all-female play will be the two-hander Ophelia's Maids, which is being staged by a new name to us: Orange is Orange. It will also be put on in the Music Room, but this time on April 14 and 15.
As usual there is a lot happening musically at the centre this month. Tomorrow evening at St Catherine's (over the road) dancer Sandra Mifsud and percussionist Renzo Spiteri will present a Dance Meditation. This will be repeated on Saturday evening at the same venue. On Wednesday evening in the Music Room at St James, there will be a concert of Sacred Music from Tunisia.
Then next Friday vocalist Deborah Harrison together with musicians Lino Cauchi, Ronnie Caruana and Joe Micallef present an evening of Spirituals in the Music Room at St James at 8 p.m.
There will be another series of concerts at St Catherine's throughout the month. Next Sunday at 11 a.m., the New Choral Singers will present a varied programme of music by Tchaikovsky, Gounod, Rossini, Faure and two of our own composing talents Carmelo Pace and Alex Vella Gregory. Then, the same evening at St Catherine's Tanya Chircop - violin and Natasha Chircop - organ will play Biber Mystery Sonatas for violin and keyboard.
On April 19 at 12.30 p.m, talented harpsichord musician Ramona Zammit will give a lunchtime recital at St Catherine's. One week later on April 26, at the same time... soprano Marita Bezzina will give a recital of Operatic Arias accompanied by Michelle Cachia Castelletti. Then finally in April on the last Sunday of the month at the usual time slot of 11 a.m, there will be an oboe, flute, violin and bassoon recital.
All this plus World Book Day on April 22. To mark this year's WBD, a list has been published of the 10 books the nation (The US) cannot live without. Top of the list is... Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice... Hmm... Interesting to see that The Bible comes in at only number six. It's even beaten by Harry Potter (number four). This month's Valletta Creative Forum will deal with Creativity and Innovation in our Local Communities. This will take place at St James on April 28. On the same subject: Frans Winther, the resident composer at the Odin Theatre Copenhagen will be conducting a two-day intensive workshop to explore the rhythm of the performance and the actor's music. Actors, musicians, singers, dancers, directors and composers will work together concretely using voice, song, improvisations and montage.