Newly launched: Sailing the Aegean, 4–13 October 2025
St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina, © Janosch LinoJ
Handel in Malta - Britain’s finest adopted composer, in spectacular Baroque buildings
7
days
from
£4,280
21st November 2025
- Three of the leading ensembles performing today: The English Concert, Solomon’s Knot and the Gabrieli Consort.
- A range of Handel’s best works, from the beloved Rinaldo to the vibrantly descriptive Israel in Egypt, via the virtuosity of Dixit Dominus, and the grand culmination – the Messiah.
- Stay in Valletta, Malta’s delightful, diminutive capital, among the loveliest and most fascinating of cities built in the Age of Baroque.
- Venues include the Baroque Teatru Manoel, both exuberant cathedrals in Valletta and Mdina, and the President’s summer residence.
- Daily talks on the music by Richard Wigmore, and optional cultural visits by Malta and Caravaggio experts.
- Accessible exclusively to those who take a package which includes accommodation, travel, meals, daily talks and much else.
New for 2025, this is the first Martin Randall Festival dedicated to the music of George Frideric Handel.
Why we would dedicate a festival to Handel is obvious – the emotional power and technical virtuosity of his astounding output speak for themselves. We have long wished to make him the focus of a musical celebration, the only difficulty being which of his many masterpieces to select!
But why Malta? First and foremost are the superlative performance spaces – the Teatru Manoel, a gilded masterpiece dating to 1731, the lavish Baroque cathedrals of St John and St Paul in Valletta and Mdina, and the Verdala Palace, the summer residence of the President of Malta. All chime in period and ambiance with Handel’s music to create a deeply moving experience.
Add to this a backdrop of well-preserved architecture and enchanting streetscape predominantly of the Age of Baroque; plentiful good hotels, restaurants and cafés; and an urban space compact enough for getting around on foot to be entirely viable, and you have the perfect setting. And in late November, temperatures are still mild but the crowds have dispersed.
There are daily talks on the music by Richard Wigmore, and for those who prefer a full day of activity and company there are extra meals, walks and visits to sign up to. You choose the level of participation that suits you.
The ensembles performing are some of the best in the world – The English Concert, Gabrieli Consort & Players and Solomon’s Knot all appear, with soloists such as Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Alexander Chance, Paula Murrihy and Mary Bevan.
And from the feast of possible repertoire, we have chosen Rinaldo (concert performance), Dixit Dominus, Israel in Egypt, an organ recital and a programme of chamber works, and – what else – the Messiah, to conclude what will be a thrilling and utterly unique festival.
Brochure
Musicians
Programme
Friday 21st November
Fly directly from London to Malta with one of our group flights, or make your own way independently. Coach transfer to Valletta.
Depending on the arrival of your flight, there may be free time to become acquainted with Valletta.
Settle into your chosen hotel before a drinks reception and dinner.
Saturday 22nd November
The first event today is a morning lecture on the music. The first performance is this afternoon.
The Teatru Manoel, built in 1731 at the behest of Grand Master Fra António Manoel de Vilhena, is one of Europe’s oldest working theatres. A masterpiece of carpentry, there are three tiers of wooden boxes, gilded and painted.
Opera, 3.00pm:
Valletta, Teatru Manoel
Rinaldo (concert performance)
The English Concert
Harry Bicket director
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen Rinaldo
Rachael Wilson Armida
Paula Murrihy Goffredo
Mary Bevan Almirena
Ashley Riches Argante
Alexander Chance Eustazio
Andy Shen Liu Araldo/Donna/Magician
Handel’s arrival in London in 1710 proved to be a major milestone in his career. The success of Agrippina (1709, Venice) had established his operatic credentials, and he was ready to cater to the English demand for Italian entertainments. Rinaldo’s triumphant premiere in 1711, replete with dramatic stage effects (including live birds), placed Handel at the forefront of the London opera scene. With a sorceress in a flying chariot, mermaids, monsters, and magic wands, all accompanied by equally thrilling music, it is not hard to see why the opera has captivated modern audiences too.
An optional dinner follows the performance.
Sunday 23rd November
A morning lecture on the music is followed by departure by coach for Mdina. The ‘Silent City’, Mdina is a masterpiece of medieval and Baroque architecture, where honey-coloured stone encloses a tiny labyrinth of quiet, narrow streets. Once the island’s capital, its position offers sweeping views over the countryside.
Lunch is served here for everyone in the Palazzo de Piro, a 17th-century palace nestled in the bastion walls.
St Paul’s Cathedral, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, was designed by Lorenzo Gafá and completed in 1702. The simple façade is set off by two bell towers and two clock faces – one telling the time, the other the date. The interior is a Baroque explosion befitting the former capital city, with soaring arches, marble floors and intricate frescoes.
Concert, 2,00pm:
Mdina, St Paul’s Cathedral
Dixit Dominus
The English Concert
Harry Bicket director
Dixit Dominus allows us to see the moment when Handel emerged as a mature composer. Written in 1707 on commission from the powerful Colonna family in Rome, it represents the earliest major choral work to survive in the composer’s own hand. 22-year old Handel had already developed an excellent technical mastery of harmony, counterpoint and melody, and was ready to put these skills on full display. The programme also includes Handel’s Concerto Grosso No. 6 Op. 6.
Coaches return to Valletta after the performance. There is an optional dinner for those who wish.
Monday 24th November
There is a morning lecture on the music followed by an organ recital.
St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, serene and restrained, was built in the 1840s, and is Malta’s most prominent Anglican landmark. Commissioned by Queen Adelaide, it was intended to support Malta’s British community. The tall spire is a distinctive feature of Valletta’s skyline, and was recently restored. Handel once played the impressive pipe organ here, apparently, before it was brought over to Malta.
Recital, 11.00am:
Valletta, St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral
Organ recital
The afternoon is free until either an optional dinner, or the evening concert.
Concert, 8.00pm:
Valletta, St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral
Israel in Egypt
Solomon’s Knot
Handel returned to oratorio in the 1730s as the popularity of Italian opera in London began to wane. The premiere of Israel in Egypt in 1739 followed Saul from the same year, and Deborah and Athalia from 1733. The Exodus story offered a particularly splendid array of inspirational images: leaping frogs, buzzing flies, and pounding hailstones are all brought to musical life.
Tuesday 25th November
The audience is divided in two today.
In the morning, the first group departs by coach for the Verdala Palace, the official summer residence of Malta’s President, and the second group has some free time or the option of an art historical visit. In the afternoon, the groups are reversed.
Located near Buskett Gardens, the palace was built in 1586 as a hunting lodge for the Grand Master de Verdalle of the Order of St John. Later fortified and expanded, the palace served as a summer residence for subsequent Grand Masters. The main hall, where our concert takes place, dates to c. 1720 and looks out over lush woodland, reaching down to the sea.
Each concert is preceded by a talk on the music.
Concert, 11.00am or 4.00pm:
Buskett Gardens, Verdala Palace
Chamber works
Soloists of Gabrieli
Soloists of Gabrieli present a programme exploring the expressive depths of Baroque music, featuring works by Handel and Telemann alongside a hidden gem by Johann Gottlieb Janitsch. Handel’s ‘Mi palpito il cor’ and Telemann’s ‘Ich seh’ euch fast mit bittern Tränen’ showcase the intimacy and poignancy of the secular and sacred cantata forms with obbligato instrumental accompaniment, and two of Handel’s celebrated trio sonatas demonstrate his mastery of the chamber music genre.
The programme concludes with Janitsch’s chamber sonata for the unusual combination of two violins and oboe with continuo, a work of contrapuntal brilliance and heartfelt lyricism.
Wednesday 26th November
A final morning lecture on the music, then the day is free before a gala dinner and the final performance of the festival in St John’s Co-Cathedral.
This was the Order’s church in Valletta, with a chapel for each langue. Built in 1572 by Girolamo Cassar and consecrated in 1578, the cathedral oratory and sacristy were added in 1604. The opulently decorated interior seen today is the result of aggrandisement over the second half of the 17th century.
Concert, 8.00pm:
Valletta, St John’s Co-Cathedral
Messiah
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh director
Soloists tbc
Handel and Charles Jennens began working on the Messiah in 1741, and settled very quickly on a particular approach to the central story of Christian faith. Highlighting the moments of divine revelation and miracles, they hoped to counter the contemporary trend towards a faith motivated by scientific observation. Correspondingly, some of the most iconic music comes with the prophecies of Christ’s birth, the joyous appearances of the angels imparting God’s word, or with texts such as ‘I know that my redeemer liveth’, a glorious statement of pure, trusting faith.
Thursday 27th November
Coaches take participants to Malta airport. Fly to London directly, or leave the festival independently.
Expert speaker
Mr Richard Wigmore
Music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3. He writes for BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone and has taught classes in Lieder history and interpretation at the Guildhall, Trinity College of Music and Birkbeck College. He read French and German at Cambridge and later studied Music at the Guildhall. His publications include Schubert: The Complete Song Texts and Pocket Guide to Haydn. Twitter: @wigmoresworld | Website: wigmoresworld.co.uk
Practicalities
The price includes:
– All six performances.
– Accommodation for six nights – choose between five options.
– Return flights between London and Malta. See pages 20–21.
– Breakfasts, one lunch, two dinners and interval drinks.
– Talks on the music by a Handel expert.
– Travel by comfortable private coach.
– The assistance of festival staff and a detailed programme booklet.
Flights with KM Malta Airlines or British Airways are included in the price. These are all direct flights between London Heathrow or Gatwick and Malta.
There is the option to fly out on 20 November, the day before the festival begins.
Please be aware that these flight times are subject to change, as schedules for late 2025 have not yet been released. These are based on November 2024. We will update you as soon as our group flight bookings are confirmed.
Alternatively you can choose to make your own travel arrangements, and select our ‘No flights’ price, for a reduction of £210.
Arriving 20 November (a day early):
Option 1 , KM MALTA
20 November: London Heathrow to Malta (KM101), depart 11.25 and arrive 15.45.
27 November: Malta to London Heathrow (KM102), depart 16.45 and arrive 19.25.
Option 2 , KM MALTA & BA
20 November: London Gatwick to Malta (KM117), depart 11.55 and arrive 16.10.
27 November: Malta to London Gatwick (BA2615), depart 12.30 and arrive 14.50.
Arriving 21 November:
Option 3 , BA
21 November: London Gatwick to Malta (BA2614), depart 07.20 and arrive 11.35.
27 November: Malta to London Gatwick (BA2615), depart 12.30 and arrive 14.50.
Option 4 , KM MALTA
21 November: London Heathrow to Malta (KM101), depart 11.25 and arrive 15.45.
27 November: Malta to London Heathrow (KM102), depart 16.45 and arrive 19.25.
Connecting flights
If flying with British Airways, it may be possible to arrange connecting flights from Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Belfast. Please request these on your booking form if you require them.
If flying with KM Malta Airlines, it may be possible to fly directly to Malta from Birmingham, Edinburgh or Manchester, but only through booking individually with the airline.
The no-flights option
You can choose not to take any of our flight options and to make your own arrangements for joining and leaving the festival.
Price reduction for ‘no flights’: £210.
Easyjet and Ryanair operate direct flights to Malta in November. Although we cannot make a group booking with them or indeed recommend them, we can advise on timetables and routes once they are published. You are welcome to join our airport coach transfers if your flights coincide with any of our flight options. Below is an indication of schedules based on this year.
Easyjet
20 November: London Gatwick to Malta (EZY8761) 07.25–11.40.
21 November: London Gatwick to Malta (EZY6327) 07.25–11.40.
27 November: Malta to London Gatwick (EZY8762) 12.30–14.50.
Ryanair
20 November: London Stansted to Malta (FR4208) 16.15–20.25.
21 November: London Luton to Malta (FR3882) 06.25–10.35.
27 November: Malta to London Luton; (FR3883) 10.50–13.20; Malta to London Stansted (FR4207) 13.20–15.50.
Flights for pre-festival tour participants
The prices for these tours include the option of a return flight – out at the start of the tour, and back at the end of the festival.
We charge for flights, if you are taking them, as part of your pre-festival tour booking. You therefore pay the ‘no flights’ price for the festival regardless.
There is a choice of five hotels in Valletta.
Four of the five hotels (the Phoenicia Hotel is the exception) are located within the historic centre of Valletta and follow a similar pattern: a tall building, with an internal courtyard that serves as a bar or relaxation area, and a roof terrace with spectacular views over the city and harbour. Most offer some combination of spa, gym and swimming pool – these are delightful but much reduced versions (e.g. a splash pool, not big enough for swimming lengths). All are between four and five stars in rating, apart from the Phoenicia which is fully five stars.
All rooms have the modern amenities one would expect – air conditioning/heating, hairdryer, safe, lifts, WiFi etc.
Every hotel also has the option of booking a Suite, but we are not currently holding any of these – please let us know if you would like us to enquire about availability and provide you with a quote.
Your choice of hotel is the sole determinant of the different prices. The prices given are all per person and include flights (see pages 20–21). If you choose to make your own travel arrangements, there is a reduction of £210 per person on the prices.
The Embassy Hotel
This comparatively large hotel is very centrally located in Valletta, mere metres from St George’s Square and the Co-Cathedral. Its main entrance is on a narrow street, busy with bars and restaurants.
The décor blends classic and contemporary elements, but tends towards the latter and has the most modern feel of any of the festival hotels. Rooms feel more luxurious than some of the public areas.
Deluxe rooms face the street or internal courtyard, and tend to be on the lower floors; Superior rooms have a city or sea view, are located on the 5th and 6th floors, and have a balcony or terrace.
Bathrooms almost exclusively have only showers (no bath).
There is a popular restaurant on the roof terrace, which is where breakfast is served, as well as a small spa, gym and outdoor pool.
Walk to coach/lectures: 700m
Prices, per person:
All rooms are doubles, whether two sharing or single occupancy.
Arriving 20 November
Two sharing:
Deluxe • £4,240
Superior • £4,680
Single occupancy:
Deluxe • £4,890
Superior • £5,460
Arriving 21 November
Two sharing:
Deluxe • £4,080
Superior • £4,490
Single occupancy:
Deluxe • £4,640
Superior • £5,160
Palais Le Brun
Housed in a 17th-century palace, Palais Le Brun is an elegant, smaller hotel, located on a quiet street at the far north-eastern end of Valletta.
Rooms are tastefully furnished, and are the largest of the three boutique hotels (Palais Le Brun, Domus Zamitello, Gomerino) with king-size beds, spacious marble bathrooms, espresso machines and Persian carpets.
Views are either towards the city, or the internal courtyard; the higher category rooms offered here have either a Maltese (closed) balcony or terrace.
Bathrooms have a mix of shower only and bath with shower attachment.
There is no public restaurant.
There is a small gym and outdoor pool on the roof terrace.
Walk to coach/lectures: 1000m
Prices, per person:
All rooms are doubles, whether two sharing or single occupancy.
Arriving 20 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £4,590
Balcony/terrace • £5,060
Single occupancy:
Classic • £5,330
Balcony/terrace • £5,810
Arriving 21 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £4,410
Balcony/terrace • £4,880
Single occupancy:
Classic • £5,040
Balcony/terrace • £5,510
Arriving 21 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £4,410
Balcony/terrace • £4,880
Single occupancy:
Classic • £5,040
Balcony/terrace • £5,510
The Gomerino Hotel
A sister hotel to Palais Le Brun, the Gomerino is also housed in a Baroque palace, but slightly closer to the central square – wonderfully still away from the main footfall.
Much like Palais Le Brun, rooms are elegantly furnished in a traditional style (marble floors, touches of florals and tapestry, refined colour palette), but are slightly smaller in size.
Classic rooms overlook the internal courtyard, and those with a French balcony open onto city views.
Bathrooms have a mix of shower only and bath with shower attachment.
There is no public restaurant.
There is a small spa and sauna, indoor plunge pool, outdoor pool on the roof terrace, and a gym which is comparatively larger then the other boutique hotels. The roof terrace has some of the most breathtaking views of all the festival hotels, despite strong competition.
Walk to coach/lectures: 900m
Prices, per person
All rooms are doubles, whether two sharing or single occupancy.
Arriving 20 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £4,940
Balcony • £5,280
Single occupancy:
Classic • £5,760
Balcony • £6,310
Arriving 21 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £4,740
Balcony • £5,080
Single occupancy:
Classic • £5,440
Balcony • £5,980
Domus Zamitello
An award-winning and family-run boutique hotel, in a historic palace. Welcoming and intimate, it is the smallest of our festival hotels. It is located at the start of the main pedestrianised street through Valletta but maintains a hushed and tranquil interior.
The décor is refined and stylish, with linen and furnishings of the highest quality and Penhaligons toiletries. Room size varies.
Deluxe rooms look out onto the internal courtyard or Republic Street; Premium have a bigger window and are located on higher floors, with super-king beds.
The majority of rooms have showers only, but a handful have a bath with shower attachment.
There is a very good public restaurant (currently under restoration but due to reopen by summer 2025).
There is a small gym and spa.
Walk to coach/lectures: 350m
Prices, per person
All rooms are doubles, whether two sharing or single occupancy.
Arriving 20 November
Two sharing:
Deluxe • £5,130
Premium • £5,490
Single occupancy:
Deluxe • £6,010
Premium • £6,370
Arriving 21 November
Two sharing:
Deluxe • £4,920
Premium • £5,280
Single occupancy:
Deluxe • £5,670
Premium • £6,030
Please note if sharing: only Deluxe rooms can be twins.
The Phoenicia Hotel
The only Leading Hotel of the World in Malta, the Phoenicia is an excellent five-star hotel located on the edge of the historic centre of Valletta, with exceptional levels of service.
Rooms are tasteful and bright, with clean Mediterranean colours (blue and white a theme), with fresh flowers and Acqua di Parma toiletries.
Classic rooms are on the 1st and 2nd floors; Superior on the 3rd; Executive rooms have a balcony; Deluxe Harbour View are larger and look out over the water (some have balconies but not all).
Almost all bathrooms have a bath with shower attachment.
The hotel has two excellent restaurants. There is an extensive spa (sauna, steam room, salt room), fitness centre, good-size indoor and outdoor infinity pools and seven acres of gardens.
Most of the daily lectures take place in this hotel, and the coach drops and picks up from here.
Prices, per person
All rooms are doubles, whether two sharing or single occupancy.
Arriving 20 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £6,350
Superior • £6,560
Executive • £6,790
Deluxe Harbour View • £7,130
Single occupancy:
Classic • £7,460
Superior • £7,730
Executive • £8,110
Deluxe Harbour View • £8,580
Arriving 21 November
Two sharing:
Classic • £6,040
Superior • £6,240
Executive • £6,440
Deluxe Harbour View • £6,740
Single occupancy:
Classic • £6,990
Superior • £7,240
Executive • £7,560
Deluxe Harbour View • £7,980
Coaches cannot enter Valletta, and so stop at the Phoenicia Hotel, where most of the daily lectures are also held. Walking distances are indicated. On arrival and departure days, luggage is transferred separately by minivan.
– Extra dinners, so that each evening is spent in the company of other participants. Details will be available at a later stage.
– A range of walks and visits led by art historians. Details will be available at a later stage.
– Arriving a day early at your festival hotel.
– This is a physically demanding festival and fitness is essential. Within Valletta, you will be expected to walk for anything up to 20 minutes and at a pace which is unlikely to slow others down when moving together.
– The main pedestrianised street in Valletta is relatively flat, but drops either side so ascents and descents are unavoidable. Many streets are uneven or cobbled.
– Not all venues have lifts.
– Some hotels are a 20-minute walk from where coaches can stop, a walk that is repeated each time we arrive into and leave from Valletta.
– Two of the concerts take place outside Valletta and are reached by coach; all others take place in the city centre, where arrival is on foot. Average distance by coach per day (including airport transfers): 6 miles.
– If you have a medical condition or a disability which may affect your holiday or necessitate special arrangements being made for you, please discuss these with us before booking – or, if the condition develops or changes subsequently, as soon as possible before departure.
– Private. All the performances are planned and administered by us, and the audience consists exclusively of those who have taken the festival package.
– Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want.
– Audience size. There will be up to 220 participants on the festival. At the one venue which cannot accommodate this number, the concert is repeated.
– Acoustics. This festival is more concerned with locale and authenticity than with acoustic perfection. The venues may have idiosyncrasies or reverberations of the sort not found in modern concert halls.
– Changes. Musicians fall ill, venues may close for repairs, airlines alter schedules: there are many circumstances which could necessitate changes to the programme. We ask you to be understanding should they occur.
Dates & prices
2025
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
21st - 27th November 2025
Speaker:
Mr Richard Wigmore
Price:
£4,280 ex flights
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“Richard Wigmore was delightful company, an encyclopaedic source of music history and an engaging lecturer.
”
“In my experience, Martin Randall's Music Festivals are exceptional and profoundly enriching and this was all that and more.
”
“Richard Wigmore was an erudite, intelligent and passionate expert on music. He increased our enjoyment of the concerts and was a charming travelling companion.
”
“Uncompromising excellence - in choice of locations, accommodation, programme and artistes.
”
