PRESS ROOM

August 11, 2005

Media Contacts:
Sarah Shamla
Tunheim Partners
sshamla@tunheim.com
952-851-7279

Melissa Streit
Basilica of Saint Mary
mstreit@mary.org
612-317-3418

Basilica of Saint Mary Presents the World Premiere of the Basilica Holocaust Memorial Oratorio

Minnesota Orchestra, Basilica choirs, soloists join to present a powerful musical experience in November

MINNEAPOLIS (August 11, 2005) - The Basilica of Saint Mary in downtown Minneapolis is the site of the world premiere of a musical event titled To Be Certain of the Dawn - the Basilica Holocaust Memorial Oratorio - to be performed Thursday, November 17, 2005, at 7:30 p.m. Commissioned by the Basilica of Saint Mary, the Oratorio features a score by Stephen Paulus and libretto by Michael Dennis Browne.

The Minnesota Orchestra, led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä; the Basilica Cathedral Choir; the Basilica Children's Choir; Cantor Barry Abelson and a number of renowned soloists will, through the Oratorio's libretto and score, commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps while celebrating the survival of hope and faith during times of horrific suffering.

The Oratorio's creation
It was through his deep and personal relationship with Temple Israel, a Reform Jewish congregation in Minneapolis led by Senior Rabbi Marcia A. Zimmerman, that Father Michael O'Connell, Basilica of Saint Mary rector, became drawn to the idea of making a significant statement for the 21st century - particularly to children and youth. This passion led to commissioning the Oratorio for 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps. Additionally, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Nostra Aetate (Latin for "In Our Times"), the seminal Vatican II document that condemned blaming Jews for the death of Christ.

"The Oratorio will compel us to behold the image of the Creator, reflected in creation and especially in the faces of the children," says Father O'Connell. "In contrast to the deliberate, systematic murder of more than 1 million Jewish children by the Nazis, the children's voices in this piece will invite us to see God's face in every human face - especially in the faces of children."

To Be Certain of the Dawn is divided into three large sections: Renewal, Remembrance and Visions. The middle section uses actual photographs of people from the time period - with hypothetical conversations prepared by Michael Dennis Browne - the intent being to bring some humanity to the entire period of Holocaust events.

"In its inception, this piece is about God's presence within us - that ongoing companionship we have neglected - and those deeper and truer relationships between people of Jewish and Christian faiths and all faiths that we have neglected at our cost," says librettist Browne. In addition to the Basilica Cathedral Choir and the Basilica Children's Choir, Paulus' and Browne's powerful words and music will be performed by soloists Norah Long (soprano), Christina Baldwin (mezzo), Norman Reinhardt (tenor), Tim Krol (baritone), and Temple Israel Cantor Barry Abelson.

Composer Stephen Paulus calls the Oratorio "a work that would acknowledge shortcomings in the Christian world as well as potential sharings and hope in a combined future of Jewish and Christian ideals. The work is not a rehashing of atrocities or a laundry list of wrongs, but rather a musical portrait of hope and vision."

Proceeds from the November 17 premiere performance of To Be Certain of the Dawn will create an endowment to fund the annual Downtown Interfaith Forums, held and coordinated by the downtown Minneapolis houses of worship. Proceeds will also fund other opportunities for children and adults of different faiths to unite through art, learning, travel and activities.

Subsequent performances of To Be Certain of the Dawn will be performed at the Basilica as part of the Minnesota Orchestra's season on Friday and Saturday, November 18 and 19, at 8 p.m. For ticket information regarding the performance on November 17, please call Ticketworks at 651-209-6689 or order online at www.ticketworks.com. For ticket information regarding the performances on November 18 and 19, please call the Minnesota Orchestra box office at 612-371-5656, or order online at minnesotaorchestra.org.

About the Basilica of Saint Mary
The Basilica of Saint Mary is a community rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its mission is four-fold: to provide quality liturgy, religious education, pastoral care and hospitality; to preach justice and provide emergency relief to the poor; to pursue interfaith relationships; and to contribute to the sacred arts of this community. The parish is marked by hospitality and a rich diversity of age, ethnic, racial, social and economic backgrounds.

Located near the heart of downtown Minneapolis, the Basilica of Saint Mary helps provide shoes, food, shelter and employment assistance to over 6,000 people each month. The Basilica was completed in 1915 and designated the first Basilica in the United States by Pope Pius XI in 1926. Named to the National Register of Historic Places, the Basilica has been a prominent feature of the Twin Cities skyline for more than 90 years.

About the Minnesota Orchestra
Led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, the Minnesota Orchestra is recognized as one of America's leading orchestras. Founded in 1903, it offers over 150 concerts each year, with nearly 400,000 attending, and reaches more than 85,000 music lovers annually through its outreach programs. The Orchestra is heard through an award-winning series of weekly radio broadcasts, produced by Minnesota Public Radio and distributed to more than 150 stations nationwide, through frequent international tours and through its vast collection of recordings, dating to the 1920s. Having premiered and commissioned more than 175 compositions since 1903, the Orchestra continues to nourish a strong commitment to contemporary composers. The Minnesota Orchestra makes its home at the acoustically brilliant Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis.

About Temple Israel
From a humble beginning as the first Jewish congregation in Minneapolis in 1878 with 23 members, Temple Israel has grown to a membership of more than 2,000 households, the ninth-largest Reform congregation in the United States. For more than 125 years, Temple Israel has been a community of innovative worship, continuing education and cultural diversity. After moving to its current location at 24th and Emerson in Uptown Minneapolis in 1920, Temple Israel and its senior rabbis - including Rabbi Albert G. Minda, Rabbi Max Shapiro, Rabbi Stephen Pinsky and Rabbi Joseph Edelheit - led many interfaith and civic initiatives in the Twin Cities. These included founding the Minneapolis Urban League, directing the Center for Jewish-Christian Learning at the University of St. Thomas, and organizing the downtown houses of worship. Clergy at Temple Israel have advised government leaders and presidents on issues of discrimination, anti-Semitism and social policy. Led by Rabbi Marcia A. Zimmerman since 2001, Temple Israel has a legacy of a strong foundation and sustained engagement in our community.

-###-