Cappella Sanctae Catharinae, Malta’s only male choir, in collaboration with Rabat local council, will present a choral pilgrimage around the historic centre of Rabat, on Thursday.

7 Visti: The Seven Acts of Mercy – is built around the concept of the Christian tradition held on Maundy Thursday.

The event will see the choir perform in seven different churches around Rabat. Each short performance will offer beautiful plainchant and polyphonic music, as well as a reflection on the Seven Acts of Mercy in relation to the narrative of Christ’s Passion and contemporary life.

The Acts of Mercy are a series of moral obligations that every good Christian should fulfil, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless. The Passion narrative sees these obligations reversed by those intent on humiliating and hurting Christ.

For example, the Roman soldiers dress Christ up in rags and use a crown of thorns to mock his claim of kingship, thus going against the spirit of the obligation to clothe the naked. The act of mercy is perverted in order to inflict pain.

The event starts at 7pm from the church of St Agatha in Rabat, and after that will proceed to the church of Our Lady of the Grotto (Dominicans) at 7.30pm, the church of St Sebastian at 8pm, the church of St Francis (Conventual Franciscans) at 8.30pm, the church of St Mark (Augustinians) at 9pm, the church of St Mary of Jesus (Franciscan Friars Minor) at 9.30pm and finally the basilica of St Paul at 10pm.

The choir encourages patrons to walk the whole way with the choir, but people are free to join at specific churches according to the schedule. Entrance to all churches is free.

Cappella Sanctae Catharinae was established in 2009 and has since performed both in Malta and abroad.

The choir is known for its innovative programming, beautiful and often rare repertoire, as well as its commitment to presenting music in its original context.