The Juniper Passion Prelude/ Preview was premiered on the 13th May 2008 at the Gallagher Concert Chamber in Hamilton New Zealand. The instrumentation for this piece is:
Soprano - Stephanie Acraman
Flute - Megan McFarlane
Celllo - James Tennant
Piano - Katherine Austin
The Juniper Passion Prelude Live MP3 recording
It is envisaged that the final format will be for chorus and orchestra following a prolonged battle scene.
This prelude is taken from some of the material that will be used the opera in the opening scene.
The location is the Abbey at Monte Cassino Italy, where many New Zealand soldiers fought and died in WWII in one of the most protracted and bloody sieges in the war.
The abbey itself which was hundreds of years old was finally bombed to rubble by the allies in order to gain a strategic advantage. No advantage was really gained and the fight continued among the ruins.
Fortunately, the abbey was rebuilt exactly the same as the original.
The text of this piece is taken from part of a Benedictine chant, which can still be heard today at the Monte Cassino abbey. The melody was also inspired by a Benedictine chant.
See the Press area of the website for the review of the premier performance of the Juniper Passion Prelude - Friday 16 May 2008.
See the text in Latin and the English translation for the prelude below.
[1] Obsculta, o fili, praecepta magistri, et inclina aurem cordis tui, et admonitionem pii patris libenter excipe et efficaciter comple, [2] ut ad eum per oboedientiae laborem redeas, a quo per inoboedientiae desidiam recesseras. [3] Ad te ergo nunc mihi sermo dirigitur, quisquis abrenuntians propriis voluntatibus, Domino Christo vero regi militaturus, oboedientiae fortissima atque praeclara arma sumis.
[4] In primis, ut quicquid agendum inchoas bonum, ab eo perfici instantissima oratione deposcas, [5] ut qui nos iam in filiorum dignatus est numero computare non debet aliquando de malis actibus nostris contristari. [6] Ita enim ei omni tempore de bonis suis in nobis parendum est ut non solum iratus pater suos non aliquando filios exheredet
Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master,
And incline the ear of thy heart,
And cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father,
That by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away.
To thee, therefore, my speech is now directed, who, giving up thine own will,
Takest up the strong and most excellent arms of obedience, to do battle for Christ the Lord, the true King.
In the first place, beg of Him by most earnest prayer,
That He perfect whatever good thou dost begin,
In order that He who hath been pleased to count us in the number of His children,
Need never be grieved at our evil deeds.
For we ought at all times so to serve Him with the good things which He hath given us,
That He may not, like an angry father, disinherit his children,