George Palmer: News

World Youth Day Mass

Newsflash: Visit the Official World Youth Day Media Player to view videos of the premiere performance of the Mass "Benedictus Qui Venit".

George Palmer has been commissioned to compose the Mass to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at the close of World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. The Mass is set for a choir of 300 (SATB), soprano and tenor soloists, grand organ and orchestra.

The brief was to produce a Mass which, in its simplest setting, can be sung by parish congregations as part of the ordinary liturgy and, in a more elaborate setting, can be performed on a large scale with professional soloists and orchestra as part of a spectacular occasion.

The Mass, which Palmer has entitled “Benedictus qui venit”, is the first to use the new text for the Mass recently approved by the Bishops in Australia. Palmer’s setting incorporates familiar Latin phrases, reflecting the Church’s intention to re-introduce the Latin Tridentine Mass as part of the liturgy available to congregations world-wide.

The soloists for the Closing Mass at Randwick are Amelia Ferrugia, soprano, and Andrew Goodwin, tenor, both principals of Opera Australia. The soloists for the Opening Mass at Darling Harbour are Phoebe Humphreys, soprano, and Jordan Hunt, tenor. The orchestras are directed by London-based conductor, Benjamin Bayl.

A score and recording of the Parish Setting may be downloaded free from the WYD 2008 website. The recording is to assist congregations to learn the new work. The Parish Setting of the Mass has been introduced for use in parishes throughout Australia from February 2008.

A guitar chart for the Parish Setting of the Mass may be downloaded here and may be used free of charge, by kind permission of the arranger, Andrew Hingeley.

Publishing Agreement

Palmer has just signed a Publishing Agreement with G. Schirmer Australia, part of the international music publishing group, Music Sales.

Forthcoming Premieres

On 27 September, 2008, The West Australian Youth Orchestra will give the world premiere of the symphonic suite “The Beancounter” at the Perth Concert Hall. The work was commissioned to display this virtuosic young orchestra to full advantage and draws upon material from a comic opera of the same name on which the composer is currently working.

On 1 November, 2008, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Dimitri Ashkenazy, David Rowden and The Sydney Omega Ensemble will give the world premiere of “It Takes Two”, a concerto for two clarinets and chamber orchestra. The second clarinet part is for the rarely heard basset clarinet, for which Mozart originally wrote his iconic concerto. It will be played by David Rowden, founder and musical director of the SOE. The first clarinet part will be taken by Dimitri Ashkenazy, highly acclaimed Swiss-based virtuoso who performs with orchestras all over the world.

On 27, 28 and 30 November, 2008, The Seraphim Trio will premiere “The Way It Is”, a piano quartet with guest artists Alexei Yemtsov (piano) and Jacqui Cronin (viola) at concert venues in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The work was commissioned by Ars Musica Australis with the assistance of a grant from the Australia Council.

In July, 2009, The Queensland Orchestra will give the world premiere of “Aspects of Gemini”, a concerto for two guitars. The soloists are internationally renowned virtuosi, Slava and Leonard Grigoryan and the orchestra is conducted by Tom Woods. Further details to be provided.