Dec

18

2008 - A director’s view

Filed Under SDG, Commissions | Leave a Comment

Premiere of Peter Bannister's 'Et iterum venturus est'Dear Friends,

Imagine a large concert hall, filled with people from all walks of life. A few rows from the front, a middle-aged man who entered the hall in a fog of depression—a failed business, a splintering family—now sits enraptured by the music he hears. Across the aisle, a university student, ever cynical and suspicious especially of religion, is surprised by her own engagement with the music as something authentic and even moving in its promise of the Divine. On stage, a member of the choir, a retired social worker, is warmed by memories of a life of service inspired by the very words she now sings. And miles away, solace, mystery and joy play to another audience as a treasured CD turns by a hospital bed.

Make no mistake about it, Soli Deo Gloria is in the business of impacting lives through sacred music, fostering just these sorts of experiences for people around the world. “The words and music replay in our hearts and continue to bless us”, they say, “a true balm for a weary spirit” and “a highlight in our lives”. By commissioning new works inspired by Scripture and championing classic masterpieces, SDG gifts listeners of today and future generations.

South Dakota Symphony rehearsal of 'Lumen de Lumine'This year, audiences in the U.S. and France welcomed the premieres of three new works of sacred music commissioned by Soli Deo Gloria. Rising American composer Jacob Bancks created a piano concerto titled Lumen de Lumine—a description of Christ found in the Nicene Creed, meaning “Light from Light”. Bancks’ new piece was presented in March by the South Dakota Symphony under the baton of Delta David Gier. Inspired by the liturgy of the Easter Vigil Mass, Lumen de Lumine is a work of profound spiritual and musical substance. Click here for photos, videos and reports.

San Diego Symphony rehearsal of 'The Fiery Furnace'In April, conductor Jahja Ling led the San Diego Symphony in performances of an SDG-commissioned oratorio titled The Fiery Furnace, written by another up-and-coming American composer, Daniel Kellogg. The Fiery Furnace is marked by a wonderful mix of emotional expressiveness and intellectual and technical brilliance, and audiences in San Diego were quite taken with it. Work is now underway to release a complete recording of the piece online. We will send more information on that possibility as it develops. Meanwhile, project reports and video interviews with the conductor and composer are posted on my blog.

Ensemble Orchestral de Paris rehearsal of 'Et iterum venturus est'Lastly, a third new piece of sacred music commissioned by SDG was brought to life last week in Paris. The Ensemble orchestral de Paris presented Peter Bannister’s oratorio Et iterum venturus est (from the Nicene Creed, meaning “And he shall come again”), at La Trinité Church in Paris, under the direction of the composer. Mr. Bannister’s new work celebrates the Advent and Second Coming of Christ—and what a powerful and theologically rich piece of music it is! Photos, videos and reports are available on our news page and on my blog.

Our efforts to honor God through music would not be possible without the many people who encourage us along the way. My thanks go out to all who’ve supported SDG this year. Your help is especially meaningful during these tough economic times.

I look forward to all that lies ahead in our work in 2009, including several ongoing commission projects and a collaboration with the National Symphony of Costa Rica for performances of J. S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor in Central America. I hope you’ll stay tuned and share in the joy of sacred music!

Cordially,
Chandler Branch
Executive Director

Dec

10

New oratorio premieres in Paris

Filed Under Bannister: Et iterum venturus est, Concerts | Leave a Comment

Paris: world premiere of 'Et iterum venturus est'

A large audience gathered at La Trinité Church in Paris on December 9, 2008, for a concert program that included the world premiere of a new oratorio written and conducted by composer Peter Bannister. Et iterum venturus est (from the Nicene Creed, meaning “And he shall come again”) was created under commission from Soli Deo Gloria in homage to the late composer Olivier Messiaen, and premiered by the Ensemble orchestral de Paris at Messiaen’s church on the eve of the composer’s 100th birthday anniversary.

Soli Deo Gloria’s Artistic Director, John Nelson, hailed Et iterum venturus est as a supreme expression of the organization’s mission to foster great sacred music, noting the work’s exceptional achievement of the “level of excellence” the organization has pursued throughout its 15-year history. The near-capacity crowd at La Trinité was unmistakably taken in by the new work, welcoming it into the world with nearly five minutes of sustained applause and curtain calls for the composer and performers.

Discussions towards an American premiere of Et iterum venturus est are under way. Further reports on the work’s Paris premiere are posted on the weblog of Soli Deo Gloria’s Executive Director, Chandler Branch, at http://sdgmusic.org/directorsblog/?cat=24 For information on the commissioning of Et iterum venturus est, visit http://sdgmusic.org/news/?p=90

Dec

9

Premiere performance of Peter Bannister’s “Et Iterum Venturus Est”

Filed Under Bannister: Et iterum venturus est, Calendar, Commissions | Leave a Comment

December 9, 2008

Et Iterum Venturus Est, by composer Peter Bannister, will receive its world premiere on December 9, 2008 at the Church of La Trinite in Paris. L’Ensemble orchestral de Paris, under the direction of John Nelson, will perform this homage to Olivier Messiaen on the eve of the centenary celebration of Messiaen’s birth in the church where he served as organist for many years. Visit our current projects page to learn more about Peter Bannister and this commission. More details about the world premiere will be posted on Soli Deo Gloria’s website as they become available.