In the fall of 2011, G-Sync began featuring a series of events, including dramatic readings and special musical performances, linked to the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding.
This weekend, the Grand Rapids Symphony joins this diverse and eclectic year of programming with a classical music presentation of “We Remember,” a community-wide Holocaust commemoration that seeks to explore that tender period of renewal that follows suffering.
Felix Mendelssohn’s famous “Reformation” Symphony will be paired with Stephen Paulus’ acclaimed 2005 Holocaust memorial oratorio “To Be Certain of the Dawn” with Grand Rapids Symphony, Symphony Chorus, Youth Chorus, and five vocal soloists: Soprano Elizabeth Futral, Mezzo-soprano Julia Elise Hardin, Tenor Edgar Ernesto Ramirez, Baritone Grant Youngblood, and Cantor Ben Warschawski.
With images of children before the holocaust projected on screen, the audience is propelled on a journey through themes of humanity, tolerance, and respect.
This 21st century work was commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra and the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis to honor the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps -- specifically, where 1.5 million Jewish children died -- and the 40th anniversary of the publication of the
Nostra Aetate (“In Our Times”), the seminal Vatican II document that condemned blaming Jews for the death of Christ.
“To Be Certain of the Dawn” features the poetry of Minneapolis poet Michael Dennis Browne, whose prose honors Holocaust victims, survivors, and the descendants who have become the living history of this dark period of our last century.
“One of the challenges was to say something new about the subject and to do it with sensitivity and skill,” Paulus said.
As a thank you for members of the military, service members are able to access special $5 tickets to the Veterans for Friday's performances. Details on these tickets can be found
here.
In addition to this weekend’s concert, a student-only event invites area high school students to gather and explore Paulus’ powerful score on Sunday, Nov. 11 from 2-4 p.m. at Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids.
The free special event will include a small-scale performance as well as conversations with Stephen Paulus, a Holocaust survivor, and a Catholic Diocese representative. Reservations are required and space is very limited. Please call Naomi at 616/454-9451, Ext. 108 for reservations.
Admission: Starting at $18