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14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 FEBRUARY 2019 CULTURE Pink Floyd's Nick Mason live in concert PINK Floyd's founding member Nick Mason and his band Saucerful of Secrets will be performing live at a con- cert on 10 July at St George's Square, Valletta, Rock 'N Malta have announced. Saucerful of Secrets is composed of Mason, Gary Kemp, Guy Pratt, Lee Har- ris and Dom Beken. This is a unique oppor- tunity to experience Pink Floyd's celebrated and sig- nificant early body of work played live, including songs from albums 'The Piper At The Gates of Dawn' and 'A Saucerful Of Secrets'. Very few bands are as cul- turally iconic as Pink Floyd. With an estimated 250 million records sold world- wide, Pink Floyd are one of the best-selling music art- ists of all time. Nick Mason is the only Pink Floyd member to have been featured on all of their studio albums, performing on all of their albums as well as all of their live shows. He has co-written some of Pink Floyd's most pop- ular compositions such as "Echoes" and "Time". This will be his Ma- son's first live musical outing since Pink Floyd played at the 2005 Live 8 concert in London. Lou Bondi, Artistic Director of Rock 'N Malta said that the pro- moters' series of con- certs now in its third year, hosting a number of concerts with an ec- lectic mix of artists. "This year we are proud to have amongst our acts Nick Mason, the drummer and heartbeat of Pink Floyd. "That we managed to get such an artist of stature shows that hard work bears fruit especially when it in- volves bringing together the public and private sec tor," he said. "A concert of classic Pink Floyd songs from the psy- chedelic era, played by one of founding members will definitely draw the crowds and augurs well for the fu- ture of the Rock 'N Malta series." Tickets are available from www.kultura.mt Heritage Malta teams up with NGO to protect Villa Frere gardens THE recently restored Royal Gazebo of Villa Frere gardens in Pietà acted as an iconic background to the signing of a partnership and management agreement between Herit- age Malta and NGO Friends of Villa Frere for the promo- tion, public availability, and the running and operation of the historical site. The agree- ment was the first of its sort, however Heritage Malta looks forward to a series of similar collaborations. Mario Cutajar, Executive Director for Heritage Malta, emphasized the importance of such agreements taking place with other NGOs for the pro- tection and promotion of lo- cal cultural heritage. He said that it is essential for Heritage Malta not only to act as an operator for our cultural heritage but also to take the role of a mentor for other entities which work in this sector. This agreement is a good example of this novel approach. The Agency, which has the title for Villa Frere gardens, has agreed with NGO Friends of Villa Frere to ensure the proper upkeep, maintenance and accessibility of the site. Such collaboration is funda- mental since it is not possible for Heritage Malta to run all the Islands' cultural heritage sites by itself. Architect Edward Said, who specialises in building conser- vation, is the founder of this NGO Friends of Villa Frere, which was set up in 2013. He was introduced to the historical villa's upper gar- dens during his architectural studies, when the site was in a state of complete abandon- ment. Deeply captivated by the beauty of the place and intrigued by its history, he felt compelled to act and to increase awareness, saving it from utter destruction. It was the British diplomat, poet, scholar and philanthro- pist John Hookham Frere who created the 12-acre estate, which comprised the con- struction of a series of archi- tectural follies including a fine Doric tempietto. The demise of his wife in 1831 affected him strongly and the creation of this garden was a means of comfort for his sadness. From this garden which en- joyed wide open views span- ning from Mdina right across to Valletta, he could also look out at the Msida Bastion Cem- etery, where his wife reposed. This romantic story and Villa Frere's garden faded away with Hookham Frere's death in 1846. The site fell into neglect until forty years later, when the villa became the residence of Captain Ed- ward Price. A notable garden enthusiast, he gave life back to the property, introducing a selection of exotic plants from around the world and creat- ing different planting sec- tions. Earning it the title of a botanic garden, the place be- came a prominent attraction, both to locals and foreign- ers. Renowned artists, paint- ers, scholars and even three monarchs have walked inside these lush grounds. In 1930, the gardens were featured in Country Life Magazine, a world-leading landscaping periodical, and attained inter- national fame. During the Second World War, Villa Frere sustained on- ly minor bomb damage, how- ever in the years afterward, the construction of a primary school, a nursing school, a helipad for St Luke's hospital, and a parking area, ate away at the once sprawling grounds. Today, just over a third of the original area survives (in- cluding the house), yet their mystique is still there. NGO Friends of Villa Frere has been working hard to protect what remains and to restore the gardens with life once again. Each first Saturday morn- ing of the month, the gardens of Villa Frere are open to the public. Entrance is free. The British diplomat, poet, scholar and philanthropist John Hookham Frere who created the 12-acre estate Nick Mason