“To Be Certain of the Dawn,” by composer Stephen Paulus and librettist Michael Dennis Browne, was premiered in 2005 by the Rev. Michael J. O'Connell of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis to celebrate two important events – the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the death camps at the end of World War II and the 40th anniversary of the Vatican II document that condemned blaming Jews for the death of Christ. Rooted in themes and subjects of mutual interest to the Jewish and Christian faith communities, the oratorio pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust and honors survivors and their descendants.
The work was commissioned in 2001 by Rev. Michael J. O'Connell of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and celebrates two important anniversaries:
Rooted in themes and subjects of mutual interest to the Jewish and Christian faith communities the 2005 world premiere was within one week of the annual commemoration of Kristallnacht, the beginning of open hostility to Jews in Germany. The oratorio pays tribute to those who lost their lives and honors Holocaust survivors and their descendants. |
The concentration camp: Cultural sites we visited:
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Where we stayed :
Other activities:
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2008 Tour Schedule
May20 - Departure St. Cloud, airport Minneapolis
May 21 - Wednesday: Arrival in Frankfurt/Main, Düsseldorf and/or Köln airports (Cantabile: Düsseldorf only; Vicky Knickerbocker will be at airport Frankfurt)
May 21 to May27 - Youth hostel Düsseldorf (bus transfer from all arrivals)
May 22 - Düsseldorf, visit and introduction at Martin Buber Synagogue; visit at Catholic Church in former World War II bunker, “Bunkerkirche”
May 23 - Rehearsal at St. Antonius Catholic Church, Düsseldorf-Oberkassel; visit of
Protestant Church St Anna, visit downtown Düsseldorf, faculty dinner
May 24 - Afternoon concert, reception to follow at community center (Cantabile: 20 families of Catholic St. Antonius will welcome 2 participants each for a family afternoon and dinner)
May 25 - Visit to Cologne Cathedral (Köln) and tour city (Erzbistum); visit at Muslim community in Düsseldorf (“guest workers” community), introduction by staff
May 26 - Visit to a town in nearby Ruhrgebiet (Dortmund or Bochum, former coal mining and industrial area)
(May 26 - Open day, free time, two different tours offered; Xanten, Roman excavated garnison and settlement); Faculty meeting
May 27 - Bus transfer to Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany; Meeting with local musicians and choirs; Local evening concert in Church, visit to Synagogue (bell tower)
May 27 to May 29 - Hotel in Colmar, Alsace, France (next to Kaiserstuhl and Black Forest; Home of Statue of Liberty)
May 28 - Rehearsal at former concentration camp, close to Strasbourg, France:
Natzweiler-Struthof, visit to museum and tour with director, if time permits visit of close by Alsace/Moselle Cultural Heritage and Migration Museum
May 29 - Concert at Natzweiler Struthof; Transfer to Hotel in Freiburg, Germany (Black Forest)
May 30 - Excursion into wine country (mountains), Kaiserstuhl; Faculty meeting
(May 30 – Open day)
May 31 - Visit to European Parliament (tour and lunch), Strasbourg; Europa Park Rust
June 1 - Visit and possibly concert at Freiburg University, tour town
June 2 - Visit to Basel University, Switzerland, tour of Synagogues and lecture by university staff at Synagogue, lunch; visit cathedral (Munster) and downtown
June 3 - Visit to former Jewish community house in Breisach; visit to traditional Jewish cemetery, Ihringen, with retired police offer (site was desecrated by Neo-Nazis; visit of Synagogue and lecture in Freiburg
June 4 - Wednesday: Bus transfer to airport Frankfurt/Main and departure (all), arrival Minneapolis June 4
