The Malta Independent on Sunday
The delights of poetry
Poetry soirées are not organized often compared to say, evenings of music. So when one is taking place, particularly if it is practically on one’s doorstep, then go you must. Such an evening of poetry and music, Notions, Nostalgia and Nonsense, was recently organized to raise money for Save Valletta’s Skyline, the Restoration Appeal for St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral and was held at the Salesians recently.
Imagine, if the spire of Queen Adelaide’s church were to be irretrievably damaged? It is too sad a supposition. I believe it is the Marquis de Piro who was behind this initiative. He was well supported and it turned out to be an amusing evening but also with a handful of poems which were moving. Piano music was provided by the much-talented Alex Manché who needs no introduction. He fixes hearts in the daytime and makes other hearts sing in the evening, when he sits at the piano.
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Several personalities read the poems, among them Marquis de Piro, Marylu Coppini, Vicki Ann Cremona, Richard England, Philip Farrugia Randon, Margaret Clerici, Margaret Agius, Paul Xuereb, Alan Meadows, Narcy Calamatta, Andrea Depasquale, Miriam Calleja, Becky D’Hugo and Simon Godfrey. Apart from Cecil Spencer by Maurice Baring which was read by Canon Simon Godfrey the poems were the creation of Maltese poets.
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I have to say that my favourites were written by Marquis de Piro himself. Witty, they are bound to put you in a good mood instantly.
Poutiatine is about, who else, if not the Russian Princess herself who introduced ballet to Malta. It was read with aplomb by Vicki Ann Cremona. Absolutely delightful. Equally delightful is Mrs Grima’s Tontis written and read by Nicholas de Piro.
In Diva, read by Philip Farrugia Randon, Nicholas de Piro gave us a mixture of Italian and English, ending: You are pink now con calore
I say for you con tant’amore.. The Ballad of Rory Muscat read by Margaret Clerici is another de Piro gem. He sat on his kilt did Rory Muscat He sat in his kilt on a Maltese rampart… I loved Maltese Style acted by Miriam Calleja and Becky d’Ugo as two women discussing an auction sale. Rahtu Mer… the clock tal-lira Xoghol ta’Mikel-Ang Sapiano Carved and indurat bellezza In the sala primo piano. Delicious and so true to life. They also read Bouganvillea by Joe Friggieri. Beautiful language.
Of the remaining poems by the Marquis, I enjoyed The Ballad of Nicole Hilton Theuma most. An actress engagingly played Nicole HiltonTheuma in the background. ***
I am a Richard England fan. He is our Renaissance man whose body of work embraces poetry, sculpture, literature and drawing as well as architecture and design. He read his own poem, The Heart of the Architect. It is deep and full of meaning and not the kind of poetry that one can digest and appreciate in a public forum. I wish he had read one of his exquisite ‘love’ poems instead.
I feel the same about Maurice Baring’s Cecil Spencer so well presented by Canon Simon Godfrey, Chancellor of St Paul’s CoCathedral. Easier on the ear than Professor England’s poem however, best appreciated on an individual basis.
Marylu Coppini read Connoisseur and Danseuse both by Nicholas de Piro and also the very moving gem I ask the Impossible by Ana Castillo with the memorable line “Love me withered as you loved me new,” a poem of great depth. Marylu also read the optimistic Sculpture by Marie Trapani Galea Feriol Oh fear not sorrow – ‘tis the touch A Master’s hand divine Shaping the soul to destinies Eternal his design.
Philip Farrugia Randon read his own What Shall I say another moving poem, and When I count the Droplets in a Cloud. Clever man.
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Narcy Calamatta’s younger brother, Peter, writes in his biography Me & My Mentors: “My brother is still the perennial clown. I can imagine him up in heaven when we all die, turning the place upside down…” It was Narcy who in his own inimitable way read Maria Grech Ganado’s Daddy. Loved it. Narcy did justice to it too.
Daddy is the man with the money in the bank
Daddy is the only one I’ve really got to thank –
If mummy clothes and feeds me, well, that’s to be expected,
But I must be like my Daddy if I’m to be respected.
Narcy also read Three Jewels by the late Victor Randon: Privates, A Patch of Sea and The Last Prayer.
*** Interspersed with the poetry reading and sometimes played concomitantly with the readings there was Alex Manché playing the piano to set the mood of the poems. Dance of the Girls with the Lilies (Prokofiev), Liszt’s Caprice No 24, a Chopin Mazurka and a Nocturne, Debussy’s Des pas sur la neige and so on. It was worth going just for the music. Alex also played, to my surprise and delight, his own composition, Intermezzo.
*** The actress Margaret Agius presented us with Dr J. Zammit Tabona’s, The Fairy and Baby Elizabeth by Dun Karm Psaila.
Andrea Depasquale read the nostalgic Of Love and War by Alistair Chalmers, who left us too early and whose parents were in the audience. It is obvious that he was a budding poet with plenty of promise.
Paul Xuereb, an excellent actor in his day, read Mimesis by Maria Grech Ganado and The Poet by Nicholas de Piro. This is the first time I heard the word ‘mimesis’ and at first thought it might be a misprint. Nemisis perhaps? But no. The dictionary explains its meaning. Dr Xuereb also read J.J. Cremona’s Message from Malta.
Margaret Clerici read her own poem Confession – which is about lemons. Brilliant I thought.
Alan Meadows, always so involved with MADC, read Lament on the Destruction of Valletta by William Harding who prophetically writes in his last verses:
“Though shalt triumphant rise, unwon and proud.”
I may very well have left someone out for which I apologise but I must not forget the work of Caroline Tonna, Florinda Camilleri, Sarah Lee Zammit, Beverly Tonna and Nella Meadows.
All the readers then assembled and read, together, the Marquis’s Nostalgia, another delight. “Living, dead, oh bound or free, Far away across the sea, You are always part of me O blessed, blessed, Malta. And no matter that some are so desperately trying to mess us up abroad, the majority of Maltese are good and decent citizens. So, yes, O blessed, blessed Malta.