Tomorrow, Saturday, the 22nd of November, a Christmas musical will be staged at the Don Bosco Oratory, Victoria, Gozo. The musical, 'Marija ta' Nazaret,' celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Calling of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu, and also the 150th anniversary of the Lourdes apparitions. There will a second performance on this coming Sunday, the 23rd of November, and a third performance on the following Saturday, the 29th of November. Tickets for the musical can be obtained by calling on telephone number 21556616 or on mobile number 99487751. Tickets may also be obtained by calling in person at the Don Bosco Oratory in Victoria. All three performances commence at 7.30pm each ... Read more...

This Saturday, at the Teatru Astra, Victoria, in its annual symphonic concert, the La Stella Philharmonic Band will play an array of musical excerpts ranging from Puccini classics to local compositions and well-known light music pieces such as those from the popular Disney cartoon musical The Lion King. The band's resident music director Prof Mro Joseph Vella has opted to include a colourful Puccini selection from the magnificent opera Tosca, as a fitting conclusion to the Festival Mediterranea's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the immortal composer's birth. The selection chosen includes some of the better known arias for soprano, tenor and baritone. The arrangement is scintillating ... Read more...

Astrid Vella, the coordinator of the environmental NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA), who was recently awarded the SOS Malta Award for Volunteering 2008, has been nominated as the Malta NGO volunteer of the year, in the European award recognizing the work of NGO volunteers. The general public are being strongly urged to cast their vote for Astrid Vella on the European award website located at www.benevolat.eu/en/vote.php.... Astrid has worked indefatigably and fearlessly to protect Malta and Gozo's heritage and environment, often around the clock, driven by concern about the uncontrolled urban and rural over-development ... Read more...

The National and Regional Celebrations Committee within the Ministry for Gozo would like to inform those who may be interested, about an aid scheme being launched in connection with static or mechanical cribs exhibited during the Christmas period 2008. The cribs are to be exhibited to the general public between Saturday the 20th of December 2008 and Sunday the 4th of January 2009. The cribs (both static and mechanical) should not be less than two metres wide. The mechanical cribs should include at least four mechanical figures. All cribs will be classified by members of a jury who will visit the cribs during exhibition days. All those interested should obtain and submit ... Read more...

The Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) has been informed by the Malta Falconry Centre that a 3-year old Golden Eagle has escaped today and is flying freely, it was last seen in the vicinity of Siggiewi. The eagle, which is very docile and still wears one of its anklets, will not fly long distances and is used to being close to humans. The FKNK consequently expects the full and unreserved collaboration and support of all its members, together with that of all local sportsmen, to ensure that any sighting is reported to the FKNK on 99474503 or to the Centre director Mr. Rennie Scicluna on 79497274, in order that such majestic bird can be returned to Centre where it can be ... Read more...

Christmas time in Gozo is becoming increasingly attractive. For centuries people have set cribs in their homes and bagpipers have gone through the streets playing traditional tunes. Music is one of the main components of Christmas. In fact, the Xaghra Local Council is contributing in these festivities and will soon be holding the tenth edition of the Christmas Concert, which this year will be entitled 'Puer Natus Est'. The concert will take place on Sunday 28th December at the Basilica of Marija Bambina in Xaghra, Gozo at 7.00pm. This concert is a much awaited high-brow event and has established itself in the national cultural calendar for the festive season. For this year's edition, the Xaghra Local ... Read more...

On Saturday, the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, inaugurated 'Brushworks', an art exhibition by Henry Alamango. The exhibition is now open to the public and runs until the 6th of December, at the Banca Giuratale, Independence Square, Victoria. 'Brushworks' is Henry Alamango's fifth solo art exhibition. Henry's art is largely representational and is inspired primarily by Mediterranean landscapes and seascapes. This year's edition includes, in the main, watercolours and ink, with some pastel and acrylics. Local scenes and cafe-life are complemented by some works featuring the vibrant colours of Morocco. Henry Alamango is a self-taught artist who has forever loved to transfer, through paint onto paper, the love of nature that is etched in his upbringing. ... Read more...

Xaghra primary is the first school in Gozo to be awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award under the EkoSkola Programme. This is one of the programmes run by the International organisation The Foundation for Environmental Education - FEE. Today this International eco label is run in over forty-eight countries with over 5.5 million children participating in the Eco Schools international programme The Eco Schools programme was launched in Malta in 2002 by Nature Trust (Malta) as the Malta representative of FEE. From the six schools in 2002, the programme is now being run in ninety-four schools in Malta and Gozo, making it one of the biggest ... Read more...

The Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz has said that it is delighted to ring in the Advent season by hosting an extraordinary cultural event: on Sunday, the 7th of December 2008, at 7.30pm, world-renowned pianist Michelangelo Carbonara will fill the walls of the Kappella, the hotel's medieval style banqueting room, with the music of Chopin and Brahms as well as George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Piano virtuoso Carbonara, hailed by the Culture Magazine of the London Sunday Times as "pianist extraordinaire, …he will become one of the greatest pianists ever," was born 29 years ago in Salerno, Italy. Beginning his musical studies at the age of five and writing his first compositions at six, Carbonara proceeded to become one of the ... Read more...

Earlier this year the Fundazzjoni Folkloristika ta' Klula commissioned the well-known historian Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina to write the history of Santa Lucija, in a concise form. Now everyone can read about the history of the village, spanning a few thousand years, in the new 88-page booklet. The title of the new booklet is 'Santa Lucija the first village in the Maltese Islands' and is the latest title in the Gaulitana series (Book no 27). The booklet was launched during an event organised at Pjazza Santa Lucija on the history and heritage of Gozo. The photograph shows the presentation of a copy of the booklet to the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, ... Read more...