Aug

24

Haydn’s Creation in Romania

Filed Under Project Uplift Romania 2009, Sacred music around the world | Leave a Comment

Full house in Cluj, Romania

Franz Joseph Haydn’s most celebrated choral work, The Creation, was brought to three cities in Romania last month through Oratorium, a music festival sponsored by Jubilate, Crescendo and Soli Deo Gloria. The spiritual impact of performing this masterpiece of sacred music was felt by audiences and performers alike, in a country where just 20 years ago a performance like this would have been banned.

Spiritually I have never felt this kind of transforming, spiritual ‘charging’.  I have the feeling that there can’t exist a higher level of filling… - Oratorium participant

First rehearsal of Haydn's 'The Creation'

It’s as if the Lord is pouring out His spirit in our rehearsal time. - Oratorium participant

Delta David Gier, SDG board member and conductor of these performances, shares his thoughts on this unique experience.

Delta David Gier in rehearsalWhat a joy it was to be back in Romania after almost 20 years. I was a Fulbrighter there from 1988-90, one year before the Berlin Wall came down (and Ceausescu was executed) and one year after. It was exhilarating to experience Romania then, but to see the changes now was equally wonderful.

Not least of the changes was the ability to canvass the country performing one of the greatest sacred works of Western culture, Haydn’s “Creation.” Needless to say, this was not a work that was permitted under the Communist regime. One of the cities in which we performed was Sibiu - I gave my first professional concert with the orchestra there in 1989.

This project was the maiden voyage of Oratorium, the brainchild of Kenneth Tucker and the missions organization Jubilate, which is based in the Transylvanian region of Romania. Jubilate’s main focus is supporting the growth of church-based music ministry in Romania.

Oratorium was created to minister to young professional musicians in the region. While most of the orchestra and chorus were Romanian, many of the “docents,” or leaders, were from outside of the country. For instance, the concertmaster plays in a chamber orchestra in Prague, the principal second violin plays in Basel, Switzerland, the principal viola is actually principal with the Dallas Symphony.

Our week together was exhausting but extremely rewarding. Two 3-hour rehearsals per day, plus gatherings for study and worship in the morning and evening. There were talks given by several of us who were leading, including Beat Vink, who is head of Crescendo, a world-wide ministry to the “classical” music world.

I count it a privilege to have been a part of this initial undertaking. And I am very grateful to SDG and its supporters for making my participation possible.

Concert in Brasov, RomaniaSoli Deo Gloria congratulates Kenneth Tucker, Delta David Gier and the other Oratorium leaders and participants. May the ripple effects of your vision and enthusiasm spread far and wide!

Click here for more information on Project Uplift: Romania 2009, including a video interview with Delta David Gier.

Jul

3

Romania to celebrate Haydn masterpiece

Filed Under Project Uplift Romania 2009, Concerts, Videos | Leave a Comment

Soli Deo Gloria is pleased to partner with Crescendo and Jubilate in sponsoring the study and performance of Haydn’s celebrated oratorio The Creation, with musicians and audiences in Romania. Oratorium, a week-long master course, will encourage young professional musicians to encounter sacred music through musical excellence.

SDG’s Associate Artistic Director, Delta David Gier, will lead the orchestra and choir in performances in the cities of Cluj, Brasov and Sibiu. Writes Maestro Gier, “The opportunity to return to Romania after so many years fills me with great anticipation, as that is where I began my conducting career while on a Fulbright. Haydn’s work is not only musically a masterpiece, but a wonderful outpouring of praise to God. People are sure to receive it wholeheartedly, particularly when performed in the context of of this festival.”

In the video below, Maestro Gier shares his thoughts on SDG’s Project Uplift, an international concert sponsorship series, of which the Romanian project is a part. Through Project Uplift, SDG has assisted productions of sacred music in China, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Costa Rica.


. . .

Kenneth Tucker, Oratorium organizer, recently commented on the impetus for the Romanian project:

In the past several years we have sensed that now is the time for the large project we had in our hearts. To our knowledge, Oratorium is a first for Romania:  while there have been more local efforts at bringing together believing musicians for musical projects, Oratorium stands out for the seriousness of the repertoire chosen (Haydn’s Creation), the importance of the concert locations, the world-class musicians brought in to give leadership to the project, and the level of training and experience of the participating musicians. Our aim is to help bridge the gap between the faith and the music-making of these artists and to spark the general public’s understanding of the truly spiritual nature of Haydn’s masterwork.

Oratorium will take place July 19 through 26, 2009, with performances on July 24th, 25th and 26th. Stay tuned to www.SDGmusic.org/news for project reports.