Salve Regina of Eurico Carrapatoso and The Sun Danced of James Macmillan, an exclusive premier at the closing concert of the Centennial of the Apparitions

Salve Regina of Eurico Carrapatoso and The Sun Danced of James Macmillan, an exclusive premier at the closing concert of the Centennial of the Apparitions

The Choir and Orchestra conducted by Joana Carneiro will perform at the Basilica of the Rosary of Fatima on October 13th

The Shrine of Fatima will end the celebrations of the Centennial of the Apparitions next October 13th, around 6:30 p.m., at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, with a concert performed by the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra, conducted by Joana Carneiro that presents on its lineup, amongst others, pieces from the composers James MacMillan and Eurico Carrapatoso.

The concert, that includes the exclusive premier of the pieces Salve Regina and The Sun Danced, of Eurico Carrapatoso and James MacMillan respectively, will be broadcasting live on the Prayer Area, so that all the pilgrims can enjoy one more music experience that celebrates the Centennial of the Apparitions of the Virgin to the three little Shepherds.

This singular concert will also have the participation of the soprano Elisabete Matos and will take part in the Solemn Closing Session of the Centennial of the Apparitions of Fatima. The Gulbenkian Orchestra was founded in 1962. It was initially composed by 12 musicians and has today 66 instrumentalists, number that can increase according to the programs. So, the orchestra will be composed by 72 instruments. This flexibility allows it to play a vast repertoire which comprises the main periods of music history, since the Classicism to the Contemporary music.

The Gulbenkian Choir, established two years later, has a symphonic formation of 100 singers but performs also with smaller groups, according to the nature of the pieces. In this concert, the group will be composed by 32 singers.

Joana Carneiro is the guest conductor of The Gulbenkian Orchestra and artistic director of the Gulbenkian Internship for Orchestra. In 2009, she was named musical director of the Berkeley Symphony. In January 2014, she was named main conductor of Portuguese Symphonic Orchestra.

James Macmillan studied composition at the University of Edinburgh and with John Casken he had his PhD at the University of Durham. After working as a lecturer in Manchester, he returned to Scotland and established himself in Glasgow. Last year he was chosen as compositor of the year by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The arrangement, which he composed for the Closing Concert of the celebrations of the Centennial, started with a field research made during May 2015.

To MacMillan, “to have the chance to think about a piece years in advance” is very positive because “the ideas become subliminal and subconscious and it's like they work in a subterranean way”.

“I end up writing the music with a great subconscious preparation. So, the visit to Fatima was crucial”, declared the composer by the time he visited Fatima.

“Sir” James MacMillan, known for the public expression of his religious beliefs, is the author of “Inês de Castro” written on the occasion of the European Capital of Culture 2011, in Porto.

James MacMillan was one of the 60 artists invited to the tribute session to the emeritus Benedict XVI, for his 60 years of priestly ordination, achieved on June 29th, 2011.

Eurico Carrapatoso has a Degree in History by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Porto. He started his music studies in 1985, having been successively composition student of José Luís Borges Coelho, Fernando Lapa, Cândido Lima and Constança Capdeville. In 1993, he obtained his degree in Composition at Lisbon’s National Conservatory with Jorge Peixinho. He was assistant lecturer of Economic and Social History at the University Portucalense. He lectured composition in many institutions, namely at the Lisbon School of Lisbon (ESML) and at the National Superior Academy of Orchestra. In May 2011, he was awarded by the National Secretariat of Pastoral Culture with the Prize Tree of Life - Father Manuel Antunes.

The President of the Portuguese Republic awarded him the Medal of the Order of Prince Henry on June 10th, 2004.