As we enter the Lenten period, The Oratories offers a cultural programme that brings together art, academia, and spirituality. The programme also provides special focus on women as we celebrate female contributions to history, music, and religion.
The first event for March is a special musical collaboration with Opera Nova on Thursday 6th March at 19:30. The evening will be dedicated to German lieder, with sopranos Dorothy Bezzina and Mardy Farrugia and tenor Tom Armitage accompanied by Elaine Mercieca. The programme includes works by Schubert, Schumann, and Strauss.
The Oratories is also proud to present a special lecture on Saturday 8th March at 17:00 as part of International Women’s Day with a lecture by Prof. Valerie Visanich. The lecture, titled Reframing the Gaze: Women’s Representations & Contestations in Popular Culture, will discuss representations of women in contemporary culture.
Another special event will follow on Thursday 13th March at 18:30 with a lecture on Catherine de Medici, the powerful 17th century Queen of France, by Prof. Céline Borello from the University of Le Mans. This lecture will be in French, but slides will be presented in English.
On Sunday 16th March from 15:00 till 18:00, the Oratories will be open for guided visits by Pietre Vive. This is a unique opportunity to explore the Oratories from an artistic and spiritual perspective. The tours are free an no booking is required, but the guided visits are offered on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
Another special event will be held on Thursday 20th March at 19:30 with The Visions of St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. This event combines literature, theatre and spirituality. St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was a 16th century Italian Carmelite mystic whose visions were recorded by her fellow sisters. Actress Sharon Bezzina, under the direction of Joseph Galea, will reinterpret one of her visions relating to Christ’s Passion in a site-specific performance. The evening will be introduced with a short talk by Rev. Prof. Charlo Camilleri O.Carm. Although the event is free, numbers are limited, so booking is encouraged by sending an email to vellagregory@gmail.com. This event is in Maltese.
The final event of the month will be on Thursday 27th March at 19:30 with a voice, flute and harp recital. Alexandra Scicluna (mezzo soprano), Clara Galea (flute), and Anne Marie Camilleri Podestà (harp) present a programme of meditative French music that includes rarely heard works by Nadia & Lili Boulanger.
All of the events on the programme are held at the former Jesuit Oratories in Valletta, and are free of charge, but donations towards the programme are welcome. Apart from the cultural programme, there are regular liturgical services held at The Oratories. For further details check out our social media pages on The Jesuits’ Church Foundation.
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