CHRIST CATHEDRAL parish is pleased to present the world premiere on Nov. 18 of “Illumina: Awakening to the Wonder of Creation,” a new largescale work for choirs, the Hazel Wright Organ, handbells, spatial sound, lights and projections that will highlight the extraordinary architecture and acoustical properties of Christ Cathedral.
Inspired by Genesis, the Easter Vigil and St. Francis of Assisi’s vision for all creation as one family, composer Julian Revie’s “Illumina” brings together ancient and newly composed sacred music with nature recordings, birdsong, photographs and films contributed more than 30 countries. The work promises to reveal the unity of creation and invite audiences to encounter the world with the glory of God. Admission is free. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. inside the cathedral. There will also be a pre-performance presentation at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Richard H. Pickup Cultural Center.
“Illumina” will feature the talents of more than 200 performers: the choirs of Christ Cathedral, the Diocese of Orange adult and children’s choirs; organist David Ball (head of Christ Cathedral’s music ministry); students from the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles; and choirs from St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Costa Mesa and the St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center from Yale University. It also will feature John Horzen, projection artist; Max Heath, sound designer; and V.J. Tarantino, theologian. Revie is an Australian-Canadian composer, conductor and organist. His
music, much of it rooted in the Catholic Church’s plainchant tradition, includes “Stetit Angelus,” written for Christ Cathedral’s 2019 dedication. He also composed “To Follow the Star” for the Diocesan Children’s Choir’s visit to Rome, where it premiered at the papal Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany with Pope Francis in 2018. His responsorial psalms are heard regularly at Christ Cathedral’s Sunday Masses.
Revie has received the Vatican’s Francesco Siciliani Prize for the Composition of Sacred Music and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. He studied biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Yale and Caltech, and music composition at Cambridge. Revie is also the founder of Spiritus, an international initiative dedicated to renewing the Catholic artistic and spiritual tradition.