Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/621909
43 Events maltatoday, Sunday, 3 January 2016 Heritage trees will be the topic of the first Din l-Art Helwa lecture in 2016 Din l-Art Helwa announces that the first lecture for 2016 – 'Malta's Heritage Trees – Amazing Plant Monuments' – will be delivered by Dr Joseph Buhagiar on Thurs- day, 21 January, 2016 at the Judge Caruana Curran Hall, 133, Melita Street, Valletta, at 6.30pm. Buhagiar is a lecturer of Biol- ogy at the University of Malta and Director of the Argotti Botanic Gardens. In 1982 he graduated B. Ed (Hons) and continued his postgraduate studies from 1991 obtaining an M. Phil. at the Uni- versity of Malta and a Ph.D from Nottingham University where his research centred on investiga- tions into the bioactivity of plant extracts. Buhagiar will talk about an often-ignored cultural treasure of the island – indigenous and exotic trees that are special be- cause of their antiquity, size or rarity. Monumental or heritage trees occur in our gardens but some are scattered in unexpected locations. This lecture will allow us to explore some beautiful tow- ering trees dating back to ancient times, some even before the era of the Knights of Malta and tes- timonies of remote stories and traditions. The lecture is organized by Din l-Art Helwa, the Malta National Trust and will be delivered free of charge in English. Any donations made to this organization will be devolved to the care, restoration and enhancement of cultural her- itage in Malta. For further information email on info@dinlarthelwa.org, visit www.dinlarthelwa.org or call on 2122 5952 Paolo Giordanella takes off with aviation monument 'Paper Plane' has been unveiled as the public sculpture chosen from among a number of proposals to commemorate 100 Years of Avia- tion in Malta. The Luqa-based sculpture, which was created by Paolo Giordanella and executed by Lampuki Arts, was commis- sioned by the Ministry for Tour- ism together with the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure. 'Paper Plane' is an impressive dramatic monument with dy- namic clean lines that represent an equally simplistic concept. There is no hidden abstract mes- sage; it is uncluttered and un- complicated whilst aesthetically pleasing. Giordanella's concept stems from the dream of mankind's de- sire to f ly. The simple 'Paper Plane' reminds us that with dreams, im- agination, experimentation and determination, whether it takes 100 years or more, anything is possible. This inherent desire to strive also prevails in Giordanella's character. The installation of this latest piece marks a 15-month period since Giordanella quit his '9-to-5' job lecturing in Fine Arts to pursue his career as a fulltime artist. On his profession, Giordanella states: "For me personally, it's not about job security and my pen- sion, but about my innate desire to create and express myself. It is not always easy, though, as one has to embrace the unknown and stay focused. "With regard to public art I be- lieve this should never be a self- ish indulgence, it needs to fulfil a brief and necessitate a profes- sional team with a common ethos that: public art is for and to be re- garded by the public. This is the bottom line. That said, my per- sonal work is quite the contrary and can be less agreeable," the artist adds. Gaulitanus Choir returns from Emilia Romagna concert-tour The Gaulitanus Choir has very re- cently returned from a highly suc- cessful concert-tour in Emilia Ro- magna, Italy. Also celebrating the choir's 25th anniversary, this was held from the 11 to the 14 December following the invitation of the Asso- ciazione Culturale Vox Vitae of Por- retta Terme. The whole programme of events was entitled Cantiamo il Natale. In fact, the Gozitan choir performed a varied Christmas repertoire with musical excerpts coming various countries, including Malta; indeed an attempt to demonstrate that mu- sic is frontier-less and can unify the various peoples and cultures, irre- spective of ideological and religious diversities. The choir's first commitment was on Saturday 12 December: a con- cert at the Immaculate Conception Church in Porretta Terme, which also boasts of very good acoustics. Attended by a sizeable audience led by officials of the Associazione Cul- turale Vox Vitae and parish priest Don Lino Civerra, the choir's per- formance was very enthusiastically received and a standing ovation was given. Towards the end of the choir presented some mementos, while Padre Civerra thanked the choir for its polished and enthusiastic per- formance. Sunday 13 December was a very busy day for the choir. It kicked off with a mass at Bologna's majestic St. Peter Cathedral. The Cum iu- bilo concelebrated mass was pre- sided by Monsignor Juan Andres Caniato. Mgr Caniato opted to start his homily by referring to the Gau- litanus Choir – also thanking the choir for being witnesses of their faith through accepting to animate a mass as part of their concert-tour and underlining the fact that the choir came from a country whose first encounter with faith was prom- inently mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Late in the afternoon the choir gave a concert at the Madonna di Galliera church (a beautiful early 18th centu- ry also known as the Chiesa dei Fil- ippini) in the very heart of Bologna. The concert was organised with the help of the Maltese Consul in Emilia Romagna, Dott. Enrico Gurioni, who also inaugurated the church's crib before the start of the concert. The concert was patronised by several members of the diplomatic corps serving in Bologna and a very ap- preciative audience, which heartily applauded the various excerpts per- formed and gave a standing audition at the end. While the choir offered mementos to Dott. Gurioni and bar- itone Marzio Giossi, who were both very helpful in making the concert- tour possible), the choir was hosted to a reception after the concert. During the concert-tour, the Gau- litanus Choir was conducted by the choir's founder-director Colin Atta- rd and accompanied on the organ by Stephen Attard. Two of the choir's up-and-coming soloists, sopranos Patricia Buttigieg and Annabelle Zammit, were very prominently fea- tured. Other minor solo parts were interpreted by alto Tricia Azzopar- di, tenor Josef Xuereb and bass Ian Grech. This Emilia Romagna concert- tour, also supported by the Cul- tural Export Fund (ACM), was the choir' second tour to Italy and their ninth overall. Of course, the choir members and the several friends ac- companying them were also treated to various interesting sightseeing tours. Paper Plane, marking 100 years of aviation in Malta The Gaulitanus Choir in concert