A new and dynamic piece of local art and theatre promises to blend sonic and visual experiences in an interdisciplinary project inspired by St Agatha’s catacombs in Rabat.

Designed by arts collective Ars Vitae Ensemble, ‘Layers’ will feature Immanuel Mifsud’s words transformed into music compositions by Mariella Cassar-Cordina, which will be scored for a male choir, percussions and electronics. All this will, in turn, merge with various sculptural interventions by visual artist Victor Agius.

Victor Agius and Mariella Cassar-Cordina.

And with just 20 audience members allowed for each performance, tickets to this unique event are already selling out.

The experimental work will be performed by the male members of the Schola Cantorum Jubilate under the direction of Marouska Attard. Sound artist Alistair Attard, who will be in charge of the electronic section, and percussionist Renzo Spiteri, will both add another layer to Cassar-Cordina’s compositions. The male choir, together with choir mistress Attard, have just finished recording the piece after rehearsing it throughout the summer.

Ms Cassar-Cordina will now incorporate the voice of narrator Charles Caruana and develop the composition further. More rehearsals will take place in October, while, closer to the date, all the elements will come together on the site of the Catacombs themselves, where things are bound to change as a result of the influence of their influence.

‘Layers’ was conceived by Ars Vitae Ensemble, a cultural and educational NGO founded in 2009 in Gozo by Ms Cassar-Cordina and Mr Agius, which strives to find connections between music, visual art, dance and theatre.

Apart from the creation of new music and interdisciplinary art, ‘Layers’ will also build on the Ensemble’s belief in exploring the boundaries of collaboration, to give artists the space to rediscover and reaffirm their own artistic identity.

“The project is designed to be responsive, roving, innovative and ground-breaking, placing the emphasis on the process itself and the close interaction of the audience during the performance,” Ars Vitae Ensemble joint artistic directors Mariella Cassar-Cordina and Victor Agius said.

The project is intrinsically collaborative and Paul Haber has recently joined the team to work with Agius in one of the interventions in ceramics. Marble sculptor Raymond Bonello has also been contributing to the visual part of the project since the beginning of the journey, while curator Vince Briffa is the one keeping the project’s cohesiveness on track.

‘Layers’ and Ars Vitae Ensemble are being supported by the Malta Arts Fund – Arts Council Malta, The Farsons Foundation, Gozo Express Service, Quaint Hotels Gozo and the Janatha Stubbs Foundation.

‘Layers’ will be held at the St Agatha’s Catacombs, Rabat. Three performances will be held on Wednesday November 2 from 5pm onwards, and another three on Thursday November 3 at the same times.

There will also be a guided tour and hands-on workshops on Saturday November 5 for students aged 9-13 years. The guided tour and artists’ talk will start at 3pm. Advance booking for the performances is compulsory and tickets (€5) are limited.

For further information about ‘Layers’ and to reserve your tickets, kindly visit: arsvitae-ensemble.com or email arsvitaensemble@gmail.com.