Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1094338
17 EVENTS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 MARCH 2019 Walk with the Yelkouans MALTA is literally surrounded by breeding seabirds which generally re- main far from sight, spending their time at open sea and only visiting the land at night. The Yelkouan Shearwater (Garnija in Maltese) is one of them. This species can only be seen in the Mediterranean Basin and 10% of its global population breeds in the Maltese Islands. One of the major colonies of the Yelk- ouan Shearwater can be found on the coast of Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park, administered by BirdLife Malta. This Saturday, from 5pm to 8pm, vis- its to the colony are being organised by the LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija project in collaboration with Majjistral Nature & History Park. Visitors will experience the eerie calls of incoming birds. Before the walk, we they will also receive a talk about the LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija project to learn how the project team is using technology to protect this species. Anyone wanting to discover the se- cretive life of this species and to see what they can do to help them sustain their populations around the Maltese Islands are invited to attend. To book please contact dilek.sahin@ birdlifemalta.org providing a contact number. Places are very limited, so bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis. Visitors are urged to take head torch- es with red lights, if possible. Good walking shoes for the rough terrain, together with warm and layered cloth- ing might be required. The Yelkouan Shearwater (photo by Victor Paris) TOMORROW, 21 March, REMA - EE- MN, the European Early Music Net- work, celebrates the European Day of Early Music. The Monteverdi Project in Malta will join these celebrations and offers a programme of vocal secular music at St Gregory Church in Zejtun. The first part of this celebration concert will present Monteverdi mad- rigals and extracts from the opera l'Orfeo, followed by madrigals for five voices by Scarlatti. The second part covers vocal music by Giovanni Felice Sances, Bartolomeo Barbarino and Giovanni Ghizzolo. The original print of 'Il Terzo libro dei Madrigali et Arie' (1613) by Gio- vanni Ghizzolo is conserved at the Mdina Cathedral Archives in Malta. Performed consecutively, these works form a kind of a 'pasticcio', telling fragments of a love story that can eas- ily be understood by the audience. What makes these works special is that they are preformed for the first time in this modern age. What few people know, says Monsignor John Azzopardi, curator of the Cathedral Archives, is that we possess a very rich collection of 17th century manu- scripts and printed scores by numer- ous Italian and three Maltese com- posers, as well as a vast collection of Maltese 18th century composers. These collections are open to re- searchers and musicologists, but this music will however never be appre- ciated by the public unless it is per- formed. Performing 17th century scores involves previous editing, and editing requires competent masters, while performing involves funds. Mgr Azzopardi is delighted with the collaboration between the Cathe- dral Archives, Teatru Manoel and the Monteverdi Project directed by Maes- tro Mencoboni, this offers the oppor- tunity to revive these scores today on a high level. He hopes that this will continue in the future. A wish confirmed by Marco Menco- boni. In fact, he says, performing the Ghizzolo madrigals is a continuation of the rediscovery of the rich Maltese vocal repertoire, which had resur- faced in 1968. This rediscovery started in 2017 with the music of Benigno Zerafa, followed by compositions of Michel Angelo Falusi, Carlo Tassoni, Isabella Leonarda, Gio- vanni Battista Vitali and many others. For this important occasion the Monteverdi Project will receive Si- mone Vallerotonda as guest artist. Mr. Vallerotonda is a young and inter- nationally acclaimed theorbo soloist. He will perform on a recently ac- quired instrument by Teatru Manoel. In order to give everyone the chance to experience this extraordinary con- cert tickets are only € 5. Info and tickets at teatrumanoel.mt, at the Teatru Manoel box office (2124 6389) or at the door. Teatru Manoel celebrates European Day of Early Music Marco Mencoboni