Experience the beauty of “Creation” at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
“The universe did not emerge as the result of arbitrary omnipotence, a show of force or a desire for self-assertion. Creation is of the order of love. God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things: ‘For you love all things that exist and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it’ (Wis 11:24).”
– Pope Francis, Laudato si’ (Praise Be to You)
On Friday, May 2 at 8 p.m., the Archdiocesan Festival and Cathedral choirs will join the New Jersey Symphony in a free performance of Haydn’s The Creation at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ.
When John Miller, Director of Music Ministries for the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, pondered how to close the 2024-25 Cathedral Concert series, he realized 2025 presented a unique opportunity. “It’s the tenth anniversary of Laudato si’, the Pope’s encyclical about responsible care for the Earth, our environment, our climate, etc.,” Miller told Jersey Catholic.
For Miller, who is also the Music Coordinator of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship, the Pope’s vision of creation as a loving gift brought to mind the composer Franz Joseph Haydn and one of his masterpieces, The Creation.
“I thought that thematically, this great Haydn work would be a great way to celebrate the Pope’s vision,” Miller said.
Tracing the steps of Creation
Written for three soloists, a choir, and full orchestra, Haydn’s The Creation debuted in Vienna in 1799. The libretto for the oratorio was based on three texts: the Book of Genesis, the Psalms, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. “Haydn’s work traces the steps through the six days of Creation,” Miller explained. “It’s a marvelous opportunity to be reminded how Creation was put together in a way that will hopefully motivate and excite everyone to take care of the gift we have been given.”
According to Early Music World, Franz Joseph Haydn was an “intensely religious man,” who took “special care with the work, which he viewed as a thanks offering to God for all the miracles of His creation.” An early Haydn biographer, G.A. Griesinger, quoted the composer as saying that he “fell to his knees” every day while completing the oratorio, asking “God to give me strength to enable me to pursue the work to a successful conclusion.”
The premiere of The Creation drew such intense interest that mounted guards were called in to control the crowds. It proved to be an immediate triumph and remains popular to this day.
Miller pointed out that like Mozart, Franz Joseph Haydn had a gift for enchanting listeners. “They were contemporaries,” Miller said. “The music of Haydn and Mozart sounds very similar, and they both have an immediate audience appeal.”
A celebration of musicians
Miller, who will be conducting the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, said that preparing for the May 2 concert is an exciting challenge. “There are a lot of moving parts that have to come together. As a conductor, you have to know the ins and outs of every detail,” he explained. “But it’s an amazing orchestra to work with. They are such high level, high caliber musicians they know exactly what they’re doing.”
The 80 singers who make up the choir are also very excited. “This concert will also serve as the Jubilee of Musicians,” Miller said, “so we’re kind of celebrating musicians in this.
With so much to celebrate, the May 2 performance of The Creation promises to be a “can’t miss” event. Miller enthusiastically agreed:
“Where else can you hear the music of Haydn with the New Jersey Symphony and a choir of 80 people in the Gothic splendor of the Cathedral Basilica for free?”
To learn more about the concert, visit the Cathedral Basilica Concert Series website or email john.miller@rcan.org.
Featured image: John Miller conducts the Cathedral choir. (Photo by Ken Smith, Quiet Heart Images)
