Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540549
Nature Notebook Stand Up, Speak Up! Public Speaking Workshop ĊINEAMBJENT – FRIENDS OF THE EARTH MALTA'S ENVI- RONMENTAL FILM FEST IS BACK! Friends of the Earth Malta, in collaboration with Kunsill Nazzjonali taż- Żgħażagħ, is hosting a youth-focused Public Speaking Workshop de- signed to help participants build confidence and master the art of com- munication. Led by Pia Zammit, a Communication Coach, the session will guide par- ticipants to find their voice, deliver engaging presentations, and express themselves clearly in public. Drawing on her extensive experience as a teacher, teacher-trainer, and performer, Pia will share practical tech- niques to help young people enhance their communication and pres- entation skills. When: 28th October Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Where: Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ Join us for this empowering session and learn to Stand Up, Speak Up! Green idea of the week 810 Register here: https://foemalta.org/event/stand-up-speak-up- public-speaking-workshop/ Don't miss this Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Jazz Assemblea 2025 Date: Starting 25 October Location: Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta Jazz Assemblea is an open invitation to come together and celebrate the vibrant spirit of jazz in Malta. Now in its second edition, the festival returns to Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta from September to November 2025 with a dynamic programme of live concerts, visual experiences, discussions, workshops, an album launch, and more. Paris Opera Voices Date: 29 October Location:Teatru Salesjan, Sliema, Malta Paris Opera Voices is a meeting of cultures, traditions, and stories, where the human voice takes center stage. The evening brings together the rich bass- baritone of Alejandro Baliñas Vieites, the radiant soprano of Teona Todua, and the refined artistry of Christine Zerafa on piano. The program features arias and ensembles by Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Bizet, Donizetti, and more. Harmonious Masterpieces: Prokofiev & Beethoven Date: 30 October Location: Robert Samut Hall, Triq Sarria, Floriana, Malta The March from Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges bursts with wit and charm, opening the programme with spirited vitality. Rising star Diana Adamyan joins the MPO led by Sergey Smbatyan, bringing virtuosity to Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2. With its bright disposition and graceful energy, Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 unfolds a masterful exploration of classical form and symphonic brilliance. Annie Date: 31 October, 1, 2 November Location: Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, Malta FM Theatre Productions – renowned producers of Rapunzel: A Tangled Panto, Dear Evan Hansen and Jesus Christ Superstar – proudly present the beloved family classic Annie. Hocus Pocus - the pantoween Date: 31 October, 1,2 November Location: St Aloysius College Theatre, Triq il-Kullegg, Birkirkara, Malta After 20 years, Hoi Polloi's legendary Pantoween is back – and so are the Sanderson Sisters! This Halloween, the witches return in a brand-new, laugh-out-loud, spook-tacular pantomime twist. Packed with magic, music, mischief, and mayhem, HOCUS POCUS: The Pantoween promises to be a fun-filled night out for the whole family. Packed with laughter, music, and spooky surprises, Hocus Pocus: The Pantoween is a spellbinding panto adventure that promises fun for the whole family! Mediterranean Letters Date: 3 November Location: Pjazza Teatru Rjal, The Green Room, Valletta, Malta Mediterranean Letters is a night where classical music merges with poetry and evokes the feel of the Mediterranean Sea – its culture, traditions, heritage, etc. All encompassed in music for violin and piano and words from different countries around the Mediterranean Sea or being inspired by this region. Classical Vocal Evening Date: 5 November Location: Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, Malta This concert presents a moving journey through love, loss, and human emotion. From Brahms's and Bach's reflections on mortality to Schumann's tender Ich grolle nicht and Chopin's lyrical Nocturne No. 20, the program evokes deep feeling and beauty. Glinka, Tchaikovsky, and Schubert add passion and grace, while Mozart and Verdi bring operatic drama. The evening concludes with Maltese composers Joseph Vella and Charles Camilleri, celebrating heartfelt expression and cultural heritage. A programme of profound emotion and timeless artistry. Pre-UK MPO Tour Concert Date: 6 November Location: Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, Malta Ahead of their UK tour with Sergey Smbatyan at the helm, the MPO presents a programme featuring Mozart's timeless overture to The Magic Flute, and a riveting new work by Karl Fiorini. Pianist Freddy Kempf takes the stage as soloist in Rachmaninoff's beloved Piano Concerto No. 2. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 explores themes of longing and redemption with striking melodic beauty and emotional depth. Ahead of their UK tour with Sergey Smbatyan at the helm, the MPO presents a programme featuring Mozart's timeless overture to The Magic Flute, and a riveting new work by Karl Fiorini 992. Dunnock SOME birds are large and spectacular, like the lesser spotted ea- gle we featured here a couple of weeks ago. Others are small, drab, secretive and hard to spot, let alone identify. In birdwatcher jar- gon such birds are often known as LBJs (little brown jobs) and one such LBJ is the dunnock, a study in greys and browns. It looks a bit like a sparrow – its other name is hedge sparrow in fact – but its beak is thin and clearly insectivorous, unlike the sparrow's chunky seed-crunching mandibles. Unlike sparrows too, the dunnock (M. żiemel) is largely a loner and a skulker, all in all not an easy bird to find. Dunnocks are birds of open woodlands and large gardens, but when they feel safe they often flutter to the ground to forage for insects and other juicy titbits. The dunnock is a fairly common autumn migrant, and some birds stay the winter too, livening up public gardens with their trilling call. 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 OCTOBER 2025 ALMANAC Victor Falzon, Aron Tanti (photo)