Cathedral Music Director Jacinta Jakovcevic has this week highlighted the success of this year’s Orchestral Mass.
Held Sunday 24 July at 11am at St Mary’s Cathedral, the occasion brings together many young people, teachers and parents.
Ms Jakovcevic said the Orchestral Mass has now become an annual event in the Perth music calendar with many teachers and their students taking part and looking forward to it each year.
“This year, our preparations were affected by COVID once again, with many schools having to tackle numerous restrictions which meant that music rehearsals and lessons could only take place in small groups or not at all.
“As we neared Easter, COVID took hold in our community and then we had the added element of many absences due to students and staff being ill and having to isolate.
Ms Jakovcevic said that considering all these challenges and therefore our short preparation time this year – which was six weeks as opposed the usual seven to eight months of solid preparation), more than 60 young students with their teachers took part.
“The orchestral sound was rich and very sonorous in the Cathedral with an excellent overall tonal balance and the choir sang with strength and confidence,” Ms Jakovcevic said.
“The line-up represented a good mix of experienced and brand-new participants and once again had representations from Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church and public-school sectors.
Ms Jakovcevic explained to The Record that in welcoming back participants each year, she is delighted to see the progress of the young students
“They bring to this special Mass more expertise and confidence each year and they approach their work in such a mature way, it’s a pleasure to host them and work with them.”
Repertoire this year included some elements which have now been firmly established as Orchestral Mass ‘traditions, including the very beautiful ‘Our Lady of the Southern Cross’ which was written for World Youth Day 2008 (Sydney) by Rev Geoffrey Abdullah.
“Each year we also feature some excerpts from ‘Missa Benedictus Qui Venit’ written by George Palmer for World Youth Day 2008,” Ms Jakovcevic explained.
“The Amen of this Mass setting is always a particularly powerful conclusion to the Eucharistic prayer and even more powerful when experienced with its actual orchestration.
“And the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) which we also featured this year includes a sublime prologue including some magnificent passages written so masterfully for strings – in particular a cello solo. This most effective piece (from comments from congregation members and musicians alike) was a very powerfully reflective moment during the Mass – the music drawing all so deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist moments before we receive Holy Communion.
“The atmosphere in the Cathedral was very prayerful,” she concluded.