Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/221559
18 Events maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2013 HSBC Malta Foundation supports a Maltese tradition of quality CASA Rocca Piccola in Valletta held the exhibition of various artistic works that participated in the seventh edition of the Malta Lace Competition. Supported by HSBC Malta Foundation, the exhibition brought to life the centuries-old tradition for the appreciation of the visiting public. The exhibits consisted of some 120 works submitted by 49 Maltese and Gozitan lace makers who participated in different categories. The intention of the competition, under the direction of Marquis Nicholas de Piro, is to bring together and keep alive the high quality of craftsmanship from Malta's times past, which risks having to make way for faster, industrialised ways of making lace. The wife of the Italian ambassador to Malta, Hadar Halevi de Vito presented prizes to Elizabeth Attard and Consiglia Debono, who were the overall winners of this year's edition, and certificates to all participants. The pieces were judged on the merit of originality in design, ethnicity and tradition, technical skill, presentation, magnitude of the undertaking and quality of the item produced. "It is encouraging to note the in- creasing number of participants who, though still in their teens, are taking up the challenge. This augurs well for the future of Maltese lacemaking," said Marquis de Piro. "Maltese lace-making is a distinguished skill recognised for its attention to detail and its exactness which makes it quite unique and we thank the HSBC Malta Foundation for its ongoing support in helping us carry the appreciation and encouragement of Maltese lace-making to our next generation." HSBC Bank Malta Manager Sustainability Doriette Camilleri said: "The level of work exhibited was outstanding and is improving year on year. The HSBC Foundation supports this initiative as the high quality of Maltese lace forms part of the true Maltese heritage that Malta is proud of." At the end of the presentation ceremony, Marquis de Piro presented a copy of his own publication 'Ladies of Malta in Extravagant and Spectacular Maltese Lace', which features an extensive collection of fine lace that can be found at Casa Rocca Piccola, to Mrs de Vito. Ms Anna Maria Gatt presented the HSBC logo she produced in lace to HSBC Bank Malta's Manager Sustainability Doriette Camilleri. From left: Marquis Nicholas De Piro of Casa Rocca Piccola with Elizabeth Attard and Consiglia Debono, Signora Hadar Halevi de Vito, and HSBC Bank Malta Manager Sustainability Doriette Camilleri The Leipzig String Quartet Your favourite holiday music on To Perform Beethoven's Melita TV String Quartets at Teatru CELEBRATE Manoel In 1977, two Voyager space probes were launched into the greater universe, and with each of them was a Golden Record, a message to aliens to prove that we're intelligent beings. It includes everything from chemical formulas to Ancient Sumerian greetings to a message from Jimmy Carter. It also includes 90 minutes of music and of course, there's Beethoven. In fact the final track on this Earth's Greatest Hits is from Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 130, the Cavatina movement. Such is the beauty of this piece that Beethoven said caused tears to well up in his eyes just thinking about it. Beethoven's string quartets will be performed by the Leipzig Quartet on 10 and 12 December at Manoel Theatre. Founded in 1988, the Leipzig String Quartet is now widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting string quartets on the international chamber music scene. The "Neue Züricher Zeitung" has described the ensemble as "one of the towering and most versatile quartets of our time." On 10 December, the one and a half hour programme will see the performance of three pieces namely op. 18/3, op. 59/2 and op. 132. The Leipzig String Quartet's second performance on Thursday, 12 December will feature op. 18/1, op. 95 and op. 130. Each concert starts at 8.00pm but each concert will be preceded by a very interesting pre-concert talk that starts at 7.15pm. "When Beethoven composed this movement he was so mentally isolated because of his illness and his deafness that the music is too otherworldly to be true," explains Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Artistic Director at Manoel Theatre. "The deep and unrelieved strain of melancholia does not in any way detract from the intrinsic beauty of the piece. It, in itself, is a sublime work of art that can stand alone even out of its context. This movement and of course the Grosse Fugue which though not in the usual format is classified as the sixteenth quartet are supreme examples of the string quartet genre which had been formalised not too long before by Joseph Haydn who even today is considered to be the father of the String Quartet." Directly linked to this glorious movement is another from the Razoumovsky set of quartets op 59 no 2; classified as the eighth quartet in the Beethoven cycle; particularly the Molto Adagio with specific written instructions from Beethoven 'is tratta di questo pezzo con molto di sentimento' which according to Czerny was because Beethoven was inspired by a poetic contemplation of a night sky with its stars and planets. Founded in 1988, the Leipzig String Quartet is now widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting string quartets on the international chamber music scene. Also to be performed is the no 11 op 95 entitled Serioso by Beethoven, the intimacy of which requires intense and concentrated attention by both players and listeners. "The string quartet as a genre is a very special one. It is as if quartets which have the same layout as symphonies reflect in miniature the Olympian utterances of the latter genre in an eloquent and intimate way. Two of the opus 18 set nos 1 and 3 demonstrating Beethoven's happier and more genial early period will also be performed. Since Haydn more or less formalised them, string quartets have been regarded as the apex of musical poetry and this is due in no small way to the hauntingly magical output of Ludwig van Beethoven with his 16 quartets; one more inimitably beautiful than the last; a chef d'ouevre not surpassed even by the amazing Shostakovitch Cycle in the last century," Zammit Tabona concluded. Christmas with Melita and Music Choice as Melita is offering once again all your festive favourites from classic Crosby to wintery Wham! You might even hear some Slade along the way. From 2 December to 30 December we can guarantee a nonstop supply of festive tunes whenever you want them, day or night with no interruptions from adverts or DJs. Melita's digital music partner – Music Choice – goes through the archives to bring you over 50 years of the best Christmas music from a library of more than 2,000 tracks. Featuring evergreen favourites, the best of the new Christmas releases for 2013 and reworked versions of classic songs by today's artists, this is the perfect soundtrack for your Christmas party or your quiet night in writing cards and wrapping presents. And when you're ready for the next big celebration starting at midnight on 31 December and through to 6am on 1 January, get in the party mood and enjoy the New Year's Party channel. We've got a fantastic, hand picked, party-friendly mix just for you, with no interruptions at all, From the biggest tunes of 2013 to timeless singalong hits of the 60s, 70s and 80s. The Music Choice digital music service is exclusively available on Melita digital channels 901 to 948 and on Melita HD channel 950. To switch to radio channels on Melita digital TV service simply press the "TV/R" button on your remote control. The Christmas and New Year's Party channels will temporarily replace the Kids music channel for the duration of the service. For more information call 27270270 or visit www.melita.com Joseph Pellicano awarded STEPS scholarship JOSEPH Pellicano has recently completed master's degree in software engineering through the University of Hertfordshire. He researched current developments in mobile learning in both theory and practice and analysed the present state of mobile learning technology implementations, particularly in tertiary education in Malta. Part of his research involved surveying the requirements of students and learners at the University of Malta to then develop a mobile application to help students in their studies. This innovative mobile learning application can be used by university teaching staff and students to supplement current virtual learning environments. It allows students to upload their study material on the university's web site and manually download the same material on any mobile Android device. Likewise, lecturers may upload notes and other study material on the web site to be automatically distributed to each student enrolled within the module. The application allows students to study on the go by viewing the study material using applications such as Amazon Kindle and Polaris Office. They may back up their study material and receive instant notifications when lecturers and fellow students post messages. Joseph gained significant expertise in the development and implementation of mobile programming for the Android operating system. He also gained insight into applying appropriate techniques and methodologies throughout the whole life cycle of software development, which should prove invaluable for his career. He was awarded a STEPS scholarship to pursue his degree, part-financed by the European Union - European Social Fund (ESF) under Operational Programme II - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013, "Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life