 Holy Rosary - Br John Paul Russo OFM Cap
and Quartet for the End of Time - Oliver Messiaen
Thursday, 17 July
8pm
St Stephen's Church
197 Macquarie Street, Sydney
ENTRY FREE
Some of the most beautiful music of the 20th century
A handful of the country’s finest performers
The most tranquil space in the city
The dead of night.
 “Holy Rosary” by the Capuchin composer, John Paul Russo, is meant to engage the audience in a prayerful way. “It's a multi-media, interactive work meant to enhance the prayer of the rosary,” John said. “It /wyd/includes places for the assembly to sing along, a power-point presentation of images for the assembly to view while singing - in short, a sensory experience which will hopefully enhance the contemplation of the mysteries.” John noted that to his knowledge, this piece will be the first one of its kind. “It could be a helpful spiritual exercise, especially for today's youth, who - in this time of BlackBerries and Xbox's - are quite sensory- dependant.” He hopes that if these performances are successful, the piece may “gain legs” around the world and bring a new and special “eventful” quality to community prayer of the Rosary.
Oliver Messiaen's ‘Quartet for the End of Time’ is a musical and mystical achievement of inter-faith and religious significance. Born out of a passage from the book of Revelation, and written and performed whilst interned in a German prisoner of war camp in front of 5,000 fellow prisoners, this piece resonates through time itself. For over six decades, it has struck a responsive chord in people of faith – any and all faiths – a sense of mutual connection to something greater than ourselves and the world in which we live.
Revelations Ensemble brings together four of Australia’s finest virtuosos giving “on the edge of your seat performances” to audiences around Australia. All four members bring together their immense giftedness and backgrounds to produce moving and uplifting concerts from some of the greatest music ever written. Their philosophy is that music on the stage must be shared with the audience; no matter how personal it can get.
Presented by
The Revelations Ensemble and World Youth Day 2008
Featuring
 Sunny Row, violin
Vahn-Ann Nhuen, piano
Guy Spielman, clarinet
Chris Pidcock, cello
World Youth Day Choir and String Orchestra
Adrian Chong, conductor
Mark Schembri, narrator
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