MAP Festival: John Rutter at the Duomo San Cataldo, ‘My’ Taranto Cathedral ‘

MAP Festival: John Rutter at the Duomo San Cataldo, ‘My’ Taranto Cathedral ‘

Before the press conference held on the morning of Saturday 18 June in the Cathedral of San Cataldo, the great John Rutter who in the evening will conduct the Magna Grecia Orchestra and the LA Chorus, two hundred elements including professors and choristers, in the Gran Madre di Dio Co-Cathedral, does not miss the opportunity. Fascinated by the beauty of the chapel inside the cathedral, he begins to sing two or three Gregorian chants. He tests the angles, the “return” of the song. A real show to admire it. There is no way to dissuade him, he is literally entranced by the acoustics of the place. Then, happy with the invitation to the MAP Festival by the artistic director Piero Romano, he indulges in some reflections. As a true Englishman, he starts with a smile and a joke. “The fact that they invited me a second time – says “the greatest living choral composer and conductor,” according to NBC – it means that the first time I did not do so badly: Taranto, a magnificent city, this place exudes great spirituality, I had no difficulty in translating it into a sound painting commissioned by ICO Magna Grecia “. The Master himself, John Rutter, participated in the meeting with the press; the parish priest of the Cathedral of San Cataldo, don Emanuele Ferro; Maestro Piero Romano, artistic director of the Magna Grecia Orchestra; Maestro Ieluzzi, ARCoPu vice president.

The press conference promoted the extraordinary “sound picture” composed by Rutter exclusively for the Cathedral of San Cataldo. Faithful, visitors, tourists, starting from the next few weeks with a normal I-phone, downloading a specific “code” will be able to listen to the composition of the arranger of “Psalm 150”, commissioned for the Golden Jubilee of the Queen of England.

JOHN RUTTER

“The orchestral poem I composed – resumes Rutter – it is in three continuous sections: “The journey of St. Cataldo, an Irish saint, the mosaics of his cathedral”; “The Crypt”; “Sunshine, splendor and celebration”. It is my individual response to this new and intriguing commission, which I hope can be heard with pleasure even in the more traditional context of a concert: before starting work, I immersed myself in the images of the Cathedral and in the extraordinary history of its foundation in the VII century “.

“For the Magna Grecia Orchestra – said Piero Romano, promoter of the MAP Festival together with the ICO – it is an honor to host Maestro John Rutter for the second time, an even greater satisfaction if we think that the director himself has agreed to create an exclusive “sound picture” for the Cathedral of Taranto. From this moment on, in fact, our Cathedral can boast the presence of a composition by the greatest composer of sacred music: his music, combined with the city of Taranto, will accompany visitors in the enjoyment of this extraordinary jewel of sacred architecture; an added value that the MAP Festival, together with the Magna Grecia Orchestra, wanted to donate to the city ».

PIERO ROMANO

«I am flattered to have hosted a great composer – said Don Emanuele Ferro, parish priest of the Cathedral of Taranto – who has given us a gift of his exclusive composition that the faithful and visitors will only be able to hear in the Cathedral; this could be an extra element to entice tourists to visit a place of worship and a beautiful city, but often poorly told ».

“I am honored – resumed Rutter – working together with the fabulous Magna Graecia Orchestra and the LA Chorus is an extraordinary experience; the composition created exclusively for the ICO, will be performed on only two occasions with orchestra and choir, in Taranto and Matera, then people will be able to listen to it only in the Cathedral ».

“When with the Melucci Administration we thought about the MAP Festival – added Fabiano Marti, newly elected in the recent Administrative – we wanted the city to be, finally and deservedly, at the center of a great project: we wanted to make every corner of Taranto boil with emotions, so we immediately shared the idea of ​​the Roman Master: to create exclusive “sound paintings” with which to equip the beauties of an immense city, in every sense ».

“Choristers from all over Puglia – specifies Michele Ieluzzi, ARCoPu vice president – they were brought together by our association in a single chorus of one hundred and thirty units, at the invitation of Maestro Piero Romano to live a priceless experience alongside Maestro John Rutter; a human experience, even before being an artistic one, which gives us all the opportunity to study and execute pages that would not have been possible to perform with other small choral ensembles ».

In the evening the MAP Festival closes with a bang, with the concert in the Gran Madre di Dio Concattedrale in Taranto. “Look at the world”: seventy orchestra professors and one hundred and thirty choristers conducted by the great John Rutter.

Therefore, the second edition of the review of Music, Architecture and Parallelisms could only end in the best possible way. Started last June 7 with a concert on the Staircase of the Concattedrale (“The 8 seasons – Vivaldi & Piazzolla”), including events in the Convent of the Battendieri, MArTA National Archaeological Museum, Five Motors Dealership, Piazza Garibaldi between flash-mobs, “disco” and exhibition-installations, culminating in the concert conducted by «the greatest composer and director of living choral music» (“Today Show”, NBC program).

“Look at the world” is the title of the concert that John Rutter will conduct inside the Co-Cathedral, which on the occasion will present the exclusive “sound picture” commissioned to him by the orchestral concert institution Magna Grecia and inspired by spirituality and art of the Cathedral of San Cataldo.

The MAP Festival is a project of the Magna Grecia Orchestra, with the artistic direction of Maestro Piero Romano, and in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Taranto, the Municipality of Taranto, the Order of Architects of Taranto, MArTA, the Puglia Region, the Ministry of Culture. An exhibition also realized thanks to the precious contribution of Varvaglione1921, the BCC of San Marzano, Kyma, Ninfole, Teleperformance, Development Program and Five Motors, with particular thanks to New Home Immobiliare, Miccoli Group, Marturano Elettricità and Chemipul.

Born in London, John Rutter, first held the role of organ teacher and then choral conducting. His compositions are mainly aimed at choir music of the motet genre “a cappella”, but also of a structurally more complex nature with very extensive works such as the “Gloria” and the “Requiem”. A version of him from “Psalm 150”, commissioned for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Rutter’s music is very popular, particularly in the United States, so much so that the “Today Show” on NBC, it was said, has come to define him as “the greatest composer and director of choral music living”.

“Look at the world”, concert in the Great Mother of God Co-Cathedral in Taranto, admission 10 euros. In the evening, ticket to the Great Mother of God Co-Cathedral. Online: eventbrite; [email protected] We recommend visiting the sites: mapfestival.it And orchestramagnagrecia.it (Press release)

MAP Festival: John Rutter at the Duomo San Cataldo, ‘My’ Taranto Cathedral ‘