An inspiring story

I was moved by the following message which was recently sent to conductor John Nelson by way of the Soli Deo Gloria office. It comes from a musician and administrator with whom our organization hopes to collaborate next summer in sponsoring performances of Bach’s Mass in B Minor in Central America. My thanks go out to this dear gentleman for allowing me to post this. I hope SDG enthusiasts and other readers of this blog will draw inspiration from it as well.

I’ve copied below the video referenced in the message.

I have just seen the video of Costa Rica where Mr. Nelson shares the story about the boy in Puntarenas. This story has touched me in a very personal and profound way. As a conductor of a young orchestra, I see this attitude often in my own group, but also very often miss it in professional orchestras. It seems almost as if many orchestral musicians have forgotten why they decided to be musicians in the first place. I see that Maestro Nelson is quite clear about that, and I would like to share a personal story with him, please forward this email to him.

Our Association hosts an annual Orchestral and Chamber Music Camp, that I now run as Executive Director. However, these camps are responsible for my becoming a professional musician. The opportunities I had as a consequence of my 7 years in the Camp certainly determined the outcome of my musical life and I am forever grateful.

Among the many opportunities I was offered was my first appearance as a Conductor. The Music Director that year had given me lessons and coaching the previous year, and convinced the Camp administrators to let me conduct a piece. I led the orchestra in a town called El Valle (which I will be happy to take you when you are here) for a rural community there. The church is one of the oldest in Panama, and seats about 400 faithful. The first piece I conducted was the minuet from Mozart’s 39th Symphony; the second, was a piece that I composed in celebration of the then 10 anniversary of the Camp. After concert, many of the well-to-do Camp donors and Board members came to congratulate me and the whole thing seemed otherworldly to me, very uncomfortable and overwhelming. I am a timpanist, and we usually don’t get a line outside the greenroom to greet us!

Then, among the sea of people looking for their children in the orchestra, and all the locals leaving, I felt my pants being pulled from below. As I turned, I saw this young boy, not 7 years old, who had heard the whole thing. He was a local, of the Gnöbe-Buglé people, and was wearing rubber boots—evidence of hard work at an early age—and ragged clothes. His eyes, however, were shining and could light up the entire village. I crouched down as he gave me a hefty handshake and said “God bless you” with the biggest smile I have ever seen. I tell you, I cannot tell or write this story without shedding a tear or two, and I felt the same as I was hearing about the boy in Puntarenas. I couldn’t help to think that this was somehow the same boy, an angel who was trying to make sure we never forget the power that music has to bring the most sublime emotions to skin level and the best of each person’s character.

I also tell this story to my orchestra often, and also to anyone that would hear it. It is a constant reminder of why I got into this world, and the power that we have as artists to change the world for the better. This, and this alone, is the driving force behind my being a musician.

I just wanted to share this, and to tell you how honored I am that you are considering to come to Panama for this. I would love to play with you some day, and if you need a timpanist for the Panama performance of the B-Minor, I am your man.

All the best,
…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3u2b96F1tg

December 29, 2008 | Filed Under SDG general, Videos | 2 Comments

Thoughts, words, music

Peter Bannister leads the EOP in rehearsal

Before composing the music of his oratorio Et iterum venturus est, Peter Bannister spent the better part of a year, or more, contemplating the work’s theological underpinnings. The text of the new work is made up entirely of scripture passages chosen and arranged by the composer, and set in Latin. An English translation of the text is available for download by clicking here.The composer’s thoughtful approach to structure and focus is evident. The seven movements of Et iterum venturus est are as follows:

1) Fall and Protoevangelion
2) Prophecy
3) Incarnation
4) Kenosis
5) Resurrection
6) Ascension
7) Parousia (Second Coming)

Peter Bannister leads a rehearsal of 'Et iterum venturus est' I’m impressed with the work’s cosmic embrace and piecing together of scriptural narratives addressing Christ’s comings into the world, beginning with the fall of man, traversing Messianic prophecy, including the gospel account of Christ’s life on earth and concluding with anticipation of his Second Coming. But really, it’s no surprise to me that Peter would approach this project with such profound spiritual vision. One of the great privileges I’ve enjoyed in my work with SDG is to get to know Peter and to see his gifts at work, including his brilliance in connecting the dots between music and faith. For example I encourage you to check out www.ThinkingFaith.org, the online journal of the British Jesuits, where just last week was posted an article by Peter addressing the religious views of composer Olivier Messiaen—a discussion prompted in part by Norman Lebrecht’s recent article, Why Messaien doesn’t raise my spirits.

December 9, 2008 Concert Poster I hope very much that Et iterum venturus est will be heard again soon! Ideas have already surfaced for performances at several venues/festivals in Europe, which we’ll seriously pursue. Meanwhile, nothing I could provide by way of verbal description could substitute for the experience of hearing the music itself, but thankfully the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris kindly granted permission for me to post video footage of the rehearsals, which at least provides a glimpse. I plan to post more of that soon…

December 16, 2008 | Filed Under Bannister: Et iterum venturus est, Olivier Messiaen, Faith | Leave a Comment

Inside the Église de la Sainte-Trinité

Rehearsal of Et interum venturus est

Prior to yesterday afternoon, rehearsals for Peter Bannister’s oratorio Et iterum venturus est took place in a rehearsal facility in Alfortville (pictured above), about 45 minutes away from the city center. It’s a nice space as far as rehearsal rooms go, but still it’s a small room containing a large piece of music, great for fine-tuning detail but not for getting the overall effect.

What a change it was yesterday to hear the piece in the space where it will be premiered this evening. The acoustics and sight lines in La Trinité church are striking and create a great backdrop for experiencing this new work.

A few photos from this afternoon…

La Trinite Church - SDGmusic.org

La Trinite Church, Paris

Peter is doing a great job of rising to the challenge of conducting this piece. He knows the music from the inside out, and the Ensemble orchestral de Paris is playing magnificently for him. Here’s a bit of video from yesterday afternoon’s rehearsal:

December 9, 2008 | Filed Under Bannister: Et iterum venturus est, Videos | Leave a Comment

Music soon to be born

La Trinite Church, Paris This week, a new musical work will be born under sponsorship from Soli Deo Gloria. Composer Peter Bannister has written a massive, one-hour work with an absolutely epic libretto. After several years of discussing and anticipating this project, I heard parts of the music for the first time at a rehearsal here in Paris yesterday. Et iterum venturus est (from the Nicene Creed, meaning “And he shall come again”) is a marvelously complex, colorful and engaging work of art with an almost haunting sense of gravitas–a major part of which comes from the text itself which is woven together from prophetic passages in both the Old and New Testaments.

Conductor John Nelson comments
on the commissioning of Et iterum venturus est.
Audio courtesy of WFMT, December 2008.

I look forward to sharing more on this project as the week progresses. For now, I’ll just comment on the enormous priviledge that is mine and Soli Deo Gloria’s in working with Peter Bannister. His vision for this work is utterly intriguing and inspiring. Et iterum venturus est was written in the shadow of the great composer Olivier Messiaen and is being premiered this week on the occasion of what would be the late composer’s 100th birthday. This will take place at La Trinité (pictured above), the church where Messiaen served as organist for over 60 years.

Peter’s understanding of Messiaen’s music and theology is profound. The video below was taken this morning at a discussion forum Peter lead at the American Cathedral.

More to follow…