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TUCKED within the Silent City, a group of people gath- ered at St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the arrival of sum- mer. Taking place ahead of the Summer Solstice on 21 June, Udjenza's A Midsummer Dream returned on 17 June for one night only, offering an in- timate musical experience for a limited number of patrons. The concert was performed by the acclaimed Cordia String Quartet under the musical direction of Jacob Portelli, joined by renowned tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens and hosted by Clare Agius. We were encouraged to ar- rive early, once the Cathedral had closed, and take in the site in silence. We were then guided past the Sacristy to where the concert would be held upstairs. The stage was decorated with flowers that looked so perfect that many thought they were fake, and were sur- prised when Agius pointed out that they were in fact real. The concert programme jour- neyed through some of clas- sical music's most evocative works, from Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks to Brahms's Hun- garian Dances, the elegance of Haydn's ra- diant Sunrise Quartet, and the roman- tic charm of Dvořák's beloved waltzes. The Cordia String Quar- tet performed the main pro- gramme of the concert and gave a solid performance, with Agius performing po- ems by both local and inter- national poets, and Zammit Stevens performing multiple pieces, including Where'er You Walk from Semele by George Frideric Handel and The Salley Gardens by Benja- min Britten. One of the standout per- formances of the night was Agius's rendition of Maltese writer and po- et Immanuel Mifsud's poem Tkellimni, Nanna (Talk to me, Nanna), translated into English by Ruth Ward. The poem explores family memories, and in par- ticular how precious spending time with grandparents during the summer can be. Many Maltese people can relate to spending time with their grand- parents during the summer holidays while their parents worked, and hearing stories about their grandpar- ents' lives that, when we were children, sounded spectacular or otherworldly. An era long forgotten. Agius's interpretation of the poem captures the urgency, as an adult, of wanting to tell your grandparent to make sure you listen as a child. When you're a child, you cannot fully appreciate how special spending time with your grandparents is, or how important these stories are, but you also cannot appre- ciate how fleeting these mo- ments are. As Agius finished, you could hear the audience reacting, clearly moved by the performance. Zammit Stevens reached his high point with Mattinata by Italian composer Ruggero Le- oncavallo. Mattinata is a pas- sionate morning serenade, with lyrics that contrast the dawn with a plea to a sleep- ing lover. The narrator sings that where his lover is absent there is no light, and where she is present, love is born. It was the perfect piece to end with, considering the theme. Mattinata is the ultimate ode to early summer. Its vibrant melodies capture the feeling of a summer morning, while the lyrics evoke the awak- ening of nature, blooming flowers, and the joy of a lover waiting for dawn to arrive. The night ended with the Cordia String Quartet of- fering one final piece before we made our way through the narrow streets of the Si- lent City to find our parked car and reflect on the night's musings. CLASSIFIEDS info@mediatoday.com.mt 8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 JUNE 2026 THEATRE & CLASSIFIEDS GENERAL LITERATURE – A book of short stories by Leonard Schembri - "The unfolding story of the Holy Grail & other stories" available from all Agenda book- shops and outlets. HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION MARSALFORN, Gozo - holiday apartments for short or long lets with magnificent sea-views. Call 21556021, 27556021, 79426883 PROPERTY TO LET XLENDI - catering premises in prime site to let. Can be used for other commercial purposes. Phone 79493021, 79426883, 77481592 or 77484029 SERVICES PLASTERING & RENOVATIONS - For all type of plastering and renovation call Matthew on 79727779 or send a message on fb: MA Plastering & Renovations. An ode to summer LAURA CALLEJA lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt Renowned Tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens and Actor Clare Agius The Cordia String Quartet under the musical direction of Jacob Portelli One of the standout performances of the night was Agius's rendition of Maltese writer and poet Immanuel Mifsud's poem Tkellimni, Nanna (Talk to me, Nanna), translated into English by Ruth Ward