BPO Classics Series
FRANCIS: AN ORATORIO IN NINE SCENES
World Premiere
Saturday, October 11 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 12 at 2:30 PM
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Anna Schubert, soprano
Edward Nelson, baritone
Claudia Christian, narrator
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
Fredonia Chamber Choir
Vernon Huff, chorus director
| RICHARD DANIELPOUR (Libretto by Margaret Carney, OSF) | Francis: An Oratorio in Nine Scenes for Chorus, Soprano, Baritone, Narrator, and Orchestra Scene I: Voce Mea! Scene II: The Answer... Scene III: Is he Insane? Scene IV: Sanctus Interlude: Prelude to Scene V Scene V: Francis and the Sultan Scene VI: Creation-Bethlehem Scene VII: Dark Angels Scene VIII: The Death of Francis Scene IX: Epilogue: Canticle of the Sun |
There will be No Intermission for this world premiere performance.
The Classics Series is presented by the
Learn about this program from the conductor and guest artists at
Musically Speaking, one hour prior to the start of Saturday and Sunday's concerts.
Patrons are asked to silence all electronic devices.
The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited.
This weekend presents a stunning world premier by composer Richard Danielpour, honoring the international observance of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is loved across the world and throughout history by millions of people.
For me, the most wonderful aspect of Francis is its sense of community. This project brings together the family of the Buffalo Philharmonic with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, the wonderful young voices of SUNY Fredonia, outstanding soloists and narration, our staff, volunteers, and audiences. Buffalo has a large Catholic community, but it is also a richly diverse city that has welcomed immigrants for centuries and continues to do so. St. Francis’s gift for bringing people together, his love of all human beings, his enjoyment of music and singing, his respect for women, his embrace of poverty, and his care for the world and all its creatures speak powerfully to our time. St. Francis belongs to everyone who hopes for peace. Richard Danielpour, one of our country’s greatest composers, with the partnership of Sister Margaret Carney's libretto, has written a true prayer for our time.
JoAnn Falletta
The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus (BPC) is a nonprofit Chorus dedicated to enriching the Western New York region through the performance of high-quality, diverse musical programs and developing singers in the choral arts through original programming and artistic partnerships. With a roster of over 150 singers, the BPC and Music Director Dr. Vernon Huff presents independent concerts throughout the region, including our signature annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, and serves as the primary choral partner of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, showcasing the breadth and vitality of the choral art form.
The BPC was founded as the Buffalo Schola Cantorum in 1937. In 1992, the Chorus was renamed to more accurately reflect its mission to the community. The Chorus has risen through nearly 90 years of history to become Buffalo’s premier symphonic choral ensemble. The BPC is the winner of the 2020 GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance for their recording of Richard Danielpour's The Passion of Yeshua with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor JoAnn Falletta.
Recent collaborators include the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Chamber Players, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Buffalo United Community Choir, Niagara Symphony Orchestra, SUNY Fredonia School of Music, and more. Recent performance venues include Kleinhans Music Hall, Chautauqua Institution, Artpark, Our Lady of Victory Basilica and Shrine, and Asbury Hall, a downtown Buffalo multi-arts venue in a repurposed 1870s Gothic Revival church, where the BPC is also a proud member of the Asbury Arts Collaborative.
Learn more at BPChorus.org.
The Voice Area at SUNY Fredonia offers undergraduate and graduate students an exceptional combination of individualized instruction and outstanding ensemble experiences within a supportive and artistically vibrant community. Choral music is a central part of student life, with the select Chamber Choir, College Choir, and treble Camerata performing a diverse repertoire on campus and in collaboration with professional orchestras throughout Western New York. Students may also participate in the University Chorus and Masterworks Chorus, opportunities that hundreds take advantage of each year.
Complementing these ensemble experiences are annual opera and musical theatre productions developed in partnership with the Department of Theatre and Dance, providing additional performance opportunities on stage. Guided by nationally and internationally recognized voice and choral faculty, Fredonia students develop as skilled musicians, collaborative artists, and engaged members of a rich choral tradition.
We wish to thank the following for their generous assistance in bringing Francis: An Oratorio in Nine Scenes to life:
Major Contributors:
William E. & Ann L. Swan Foundation
Soli Deo Gloria Foundation
Franciscan Order Donors:
Academy of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, Minnesota
Capuchin Franciscan Friars, Union City, New Jersey
Capuchin Franciscans Province of St. Conrad, Denver, Colorado
Felician Sisters of North America, Inc., Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Franciscan Brothers of St. Francis Monastery, Brooklyn, New York
Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, Franklin, WI
Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY, Inc.
Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Louis, Missouri
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, Hamburg, New York
Holy Family Convent of Franciscan Sisters, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, Springfield, Illinois
Missionary Sisters of The Immaculate Conception, Denville, New Jersey
Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Inc., Mount St. Francis, Indiana
School Sisters of Saint Francis, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Secular Franciscans, St. Francis Region, California
Sisters of St Francis of Sylvania, Ohio
Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Ohio
Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana
Sisters of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois
Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King, Lemont, Illinois
Sisters of St. Francis of Holy Name, Stella Niagara, New York
Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, Syracuse, New York
Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin Ohio
SDG Music Foundation, Chicago IL
The Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities
The Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, Aston, Pennsylvania
Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, Wheaton, Illinois
Private Donors:
Dr. Pauline Albert
Timothy and Gretchen Davison
Joseph and Vivian De Maria
Cindy and Francis Letro
Marianne Laine
Maria Litzinger
Mr. Jeremiah Moriarty
Rev. T. James Snodgrass and Mrs. Patricia Snodgrass
Administrative Assistance:
Viterbo University
