Three Composers, One Harbour

L-AĦĦAR BASTIMENT – Stories from the Grand Harbour,  is a powerful multidisciplinary triptych that brings together three original works:

1. a short musical with original music by Geoffrey Thomas
2. a play with music with original music by Tomasz Skweres
3. a dance work with original music by Reuben Pace

Inspired by Malta’s Grand Harbour — the island’s historic gateway to the world through centuries of migration, trade, war, and travel – the three pieces weave together real-life stories and fiction into a rich theatrical journey. Produced by MAVC, L-AĦĦAR BASTIMENT – Stories from the Grand Harbour,  is a celebration of Malta’s unique maritime heritage, brought to life through music, drama and dance.

Geoffrey Thomas, a long-standing collaborator with the Mikiel Anton Vassalli College (MAVC), returns to compose the music for this year’s first part of the triptych which is a short musical. Inspired by Sette Giugno, a defining moment in Maltese history that led to major social and political reforms. Drawing on his own Welsh background and experiences of cultural activism, Geoffrey’s score draws on both historical insight and personal artistic experience. Working closely with the scriptwriters, he helped shape a narrative that balances historical truth with compelling dramatic storytelling. The musical unfolds in seven short scenes set in and around Valletta and the Grand Harbour, following three central characters: Carmen, her brother Marco, and her boyfriend Ugo.

Tomasz Skweres is a Polish composer and cellist based between Vienna and Regensburg. He studied cello and composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and brings an international perspective and a distinctive musical voice to the second part of the triptych – a play with music.

Reuben Pace, one of Malta’s most distinctive contemporary composers, is known for music that moves fluently between the concert hall, theatre, dance and screen. Currently engaged at the Mikiel Anton Vassalli College as Education Co-ordinator of the Multidisciplinary Arts Studies, he composes the score for the third and final part of the triptych namely the dance work. His music creates a vivid sound world that responds to movement, space and emotion, translating the pulse of the Grand Harbour into rhythm, texture and atmosphere, and offering the dancers a powerful sonic landscape in which to inhabit the story.

Performance details
📅 Saturday, 9th May 2026
📍 St Agatha Auditorium, Rabat

🎟️ Admission is free, but booking is required. Reserve your ticket here:
https://www.ticketline.com.mt/bookings/Shows.aspx?ProductionId=1293