Butler Unveils Resurrection Premiere

The world premiere of Steve Butler’s “Resurrection Oratorio” celebrates the Easter season at Masterworks, a concert Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church on the corner of State Street and Constance Avenue. The performance is free and open to the public and features the Westmont Orchestra, College Choir and soloists.

The Resurrection Oratorio is a complete setting of the 11 eyewitness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. “There are many beautiful works that present the Passion of our Lord,” says Butler, who chairs the music department at Westmont. “My struggle with them has been that in the end of the great Passions, we leave our Savior placed in the tomb. My desire with this piece is to pick up where the Passion ends and celebrate the Resurrection.”

The piece is approximately 80 minutes long, organized in 12 movements. The first 11 are based on prescribed morning readings from the gospels in the Christian liturgical tradition. The twelfth is a setting of the Pascha (Easter) reading, the first 17 verses of the gospel of John.

Michael Shasberger, Adams professor of music and worship, will direct the performance. Soloists include faculty members Grey Brothers, tenor, and Nichole Dechaine, soprano, along with guest artists Angela Razmussen, mezzo soprano, and Andre Shillo, baritone. More than 100 student musicians will perform.

“I'm always intrigued by the opportunity to perform a new piece because there is no performance tradition to draw upon,” Brothers says. “Particularly with Steve Butler's music, sometimes I'm still left with questions after performing the piece several times. That’s part of the reason his work is so fascinating.”

For more information, contact the music office at (805) 565-6040 or music@westmont.edu.