Broadcast of The Passion of St. Cecilia

Listen here:  The Passion of St. Cecilia, for piano and orchestra begins with a cry of pain inspired by Cecilia’s impossible predicament. The piece was inspired by the story of St. Cecilia, long the patron saint of music, though her musical reputation is based on either a textual misinterpretation or a deliberate embroidering of legend in the fifteenth century. In either case, the piece is about enduring faith in the face of persecution. The recording is by the Moravian Philharmonic, with piano soloist Gayle Martin and conductor Joel Suben. It is available on the CD Piping the Earth, a portrait disk of Shatin”s orchestra music. More info here.