Wartime Songs and Nostalgia at St Augustine Priory, Valletta: concert details, why it stands out, and how to make a Valletta day of it

What this concert is

Wartime Songs and Nostalgia is the kind of Valletta event that works even if you are in Malta for only a short stay. It gives you a clear evening plan: live music, a historic venue, and access to parts of the site that many visitors would otherwise miss.

Barocco Foundation is presenting the concert at St Augustine Priory Apse on Thursday 23 April 2026. The programme brings together songs associated with wartime memory, longing, distance and old popular nostalgia, performed by soprano Marita Bezzina, baritone Ken Scicluna and pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa.

For most readers, the practical question is simple: is this worth building an evening around? The answer is yes if you want something more tied to Valletta than a generic concert hall booking. The setting is doing real work here.

Concert details

• Concert: Wartime Songs and Nostalgia
• Date: Thursday 23 April 2026
• Time: 7:30pm
• Venue: St Augustine Priory Apse, Old Bakery Street, Valletta
• Performers: Marita Bezzina, Ken Scicluna, Ramona Zammit Formosa
• Suggested donation: €25, including prosecco
• After the concert: guided visit to the priory remains, church elements and WWII shelter
• Booking: [email protected], [email protected] or 79680952

Why this one stands out

The strongest selling point is not just the repertoire. It is the fact that the concert takes place inside St Augustine Priory Apse, with a follow-up visit through parts of the site that carry religious history, architectural history and wartime memory.

That shifts the event away from being a simple recital. The songs are about waiting, distance, love under pressure, reunion and hope. Performed in a venue connected to older church fabric and a World War II shelter, they land differently than they would in an ordinary hall.

For people coming from outside Malta, this is exactly the kind of evening that feels specific to place. You are not just attending a concert in Valletta. You are stepping into a site that helps explain why the programme works.

The performers also help carry that balance. Marita Bezzina, Ken Scicluna and Ramona Zammit Formosa bring enough personality to keep the evening from feeling like a museum piece. This should feel alive, not dutiful.

Make a day of it in Valletta

Once the concert itself makes sense to you, the next question is whether to pair it with a wider Valletta day. In most cases, that is the smarter move, especially if you are staying in Sliema, Gzira, St Julian’s or elsewhere and will be making the trip into the capital anyway.

The easiest way to do it is to use our Valletta self-guided tour as your walking backbone. It covers the city in a sensible sequence and helps first-time visitors avoid the usual random wandering.

If you want to add interiors or a more focused history layer, use Valletta’s best museums. That guide is useful when you want one or two good stops rather than too many.

• Light evening plan: short Valletta walk, one scenic stop, then the concert.
• Half-day culture plan: one museum or church, relaxed meal, then the concert.
• Full Valletta day: use the city walk as your base, add one or two interiors, then finish with the concert.
• History-heavy version: choose museums or wartime sites first, then keep the evening for music and the priory visit.

What to do close by before the concert

If you want a simple Valletta concert itinerary, keep the nearby stops practical. The aim is not to exhaust yourself before 7:30pm. It is to give the concert a stronger setting.

• Walk part of Valletta first: use the Valletta self-guided tour and trim it to suit your energy.
• Add one museum at most: use the Valletta museums guide to choose one worthwhile stop.
• Leave time to sit down: Valletta is better when you do not rush from one pin to the next.
• Save the venue pin early: it makes arrival easier in the smaller streets around the priory.

• St Augustine Priory Apse: Open pin
• St John’s Co-Cathedral: Open pin
• Upper Barrakka Gardens: Open pin
• National Museum of Archaeology: Open pin
• Lascaris War Rooms: Open pin
• Republic Square: Open pin

Programme notes

We’ll Gather Lilacs
Written by Ivor Novello for the 1945 musical Perchance to Dream, this became one of the best-known songs of the immediate postwar years. Its subject is reunion after separation.

The White Cliffs of Dover
With music by Walter Kent and lyrics by Nat Burton, this 1941 song became closely tied to wartime hope.

I’ll Close My Eyes
Published in 1945 and written by Billy Reid, with the version most listeners know often linked to revised lyrics by Buddy Kaye, this later entered the jazz standard repertoire.

It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
Written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams in 1912, this belongs to the First World War rather than the Second, but it still fits the evening’s emotional frame.

As Time Goes By
Written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931, this song became permanently associated with Casablanca in 1942. It remains tied to memory, regret and love under pressure.

La Vie en Rose
With lyrics by Édith Piaf and music by Louiguy, this postwar classic adds a gentler note to the evening.

Parlami d’Amore Mariù
Written in 1932, with music by Cesare Andrea Bixio and lyrics by Ennio Neri, this brings in tenderness and nostalgia without the English wartime frame.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by E.Y. Harburg for The Wizard of Oz in 1939, this is not a wartime song in the strict sense, but its sense of longing fits the period well.

FAQ

Is this mainly a concert page or a Valletta guide?

It is mainly a concert page. The Valletta suggestions are there to help you get more from the outing if you are travelling into the city anyway.

Is the concert worth it if I am only in Malta for a few days?

Yes, especially if you want one evening in Valletta that feels tied to the city rather than generic. This is a good fit for short-stay visitors who like history, churches and atmosphere.

What should I read before planning the rest of the day?

Start with the Valletta self-guided tour. If you want interiors and museum options, add the Valletta museums guide.

Can I combine this with Valletta museums on the same day?

Yes. The safest version is one or two interior stops, then dinner or a pause, then the concert.

Do I need to know the songs already?

No. The draw is not only the music. The venue, guided visit and wartime setting do a lot of the work.

What should I pin on Google Maps?

At minimum, save the St Augustine Priory Apse pin before leaving your hotel or apartment.

Last updated: April 2026.