Dupré’s organ masterwork ‘Le Chemin de la Croix’ to be presented at Cathedral

This Lenten season, the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul will be the site of a unique musical meditation on the Stations of the Cross. “Le Chemin de la Croix” is set for 7 p.m. April 8 at the mother church of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Hosted by the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, the meditation combines 14 poetic readings with powerful organ music to take listeners through the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

The presentation will feature international concert organist Stephen Hamilton, with narration by Michael Barone, creator and host of “Pipedreams,” a radio music program devoted to the art and history of the pipe organ. The program will be produced and distributed nationally by American Public Media, based in St. Paul.

Hamilton, 74, who resides in the Twin Cities, has played more than 60 “Le Chemin de la Croix” concert performances throughout his career.

“Every time I play these works, it’s thrilling,” he said.

“We start out with Jesus condemned to death, and then we hear the cry of the crowd, fast and loud, in the accompaniment,” he said. “There’s the three falls — first, second and third — and then the poignant scene where Jesus is nailed to the cross when, through the music, you feel the impact of what it must have been like to have been hammered.”

“As Jesus dies on the cross, suddenly we have the earthquake in the organ pedals, when you can hear the storm, which then gives way to a very quiet section of the piece, providing us with a sense of hope,” Hamilton said.

Where it’s played matters, too, he noted.

“Surrounded by all the religious symbols at the Cathedral — the altar, the Stations of the Cross, plus the world-class organs — attendees will also have a visual impact while the poetry is read and music is played,” he said.

The music of “Le Chemin de la Croix,” which translates from French to “The Way of the Cross,” was composed in 1931 by Marcel Dupré.

“Dupré is revered amongst organists for his virtuosity, faith and the integrity of his music,” said Lawrence Lawyer, 62, director of sacred music and organist at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

According to Hamilton, Dupré was known for his improvisations. “He was asked to collaborate on Paul Claudel’s 14-part ‘Le Chemin de la Croix’ recitation; that initial successful concert in Brussels led to Dupré publishing the musical accompaniment,” he said.

Claudel, a French diplomat, poet and dramatist, was a devout Catholic. The verses of his “Le Chemin de la Croix” are deeply descriptive. For example, in the Second Station, Jesus Receives His Cross, he wrote: “How long, how ungainly, how massive weighs the cross! How hard, how stiff, how heavy the burden of a useless sinner!”

“The poetry can’t just be read; it has to be narrated and expressed,” Hamilton said. “Michael Barone has a wonderful voice for this, with great color and emotion in his vocal projection.”

Barone, 75, noted that the 14 reflections on the traditional Stations of the Cross paint a vivid, emotional and deeply human portrait of the events of Jesus’ trial, procession to Golgotha and crucifixion.

“The descriptions provide a deeply disturbing parable by which even a non-believer can be powerfully moved by the degree to which unwarranted suffering inflicted upon others tears at the fabric of our humanity,” Barone said.

Barone’s narration isn’t his first encounter with the Cathedral’s organs.

“We’ve very pleased that Michael Barone has agreed to be the narrator,” said Mary Schaffner, 69, Cathedral Heritage Foundation board chairwoman. “He helped us with our largest project to date, the restoration of the Cathedral organs, explaining to donors what needed to be done and why.”

The Cathedral has two pipe organs: a 1927 Skinner, with pipework above the passage between the sacristy and sanctuary, and a 1963 Aeolian-Skinner in the gallery, with pipework framing the East Rose Window. According to the Catedral’s website, the two organs have a combined total of 71 ranks, 80 stops and 4,560 pipes.

“The historic pipe organs and vast acoustic of the Cathedral are well-suited to sacred music, especially French organ music,” Lawyer said. “The number and colors of organ stops combine to create an authentic sound that mirrors those of the pipe organs in France.”

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CATHEDRAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION

Established in 2007, the Cathedral Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit, historic preservation, cultural and arts organization, established to preserve, restore and enhance the Cathedral of St. Paul, which is also a National Shrine of the Apostle Paul. A goodwill offering at the performance of “Le Chemin de la Croix” will go toward the foundation and its work.

“Our purpose is to support the restoration of the Cathedral with a lens of it being more than a parish church; it’s a historical building that’s prominent in the community, and also considered the ‘mother church’ of the archdiocese,” said Mary Schaffner, Cathedral Heritage Foundation board chairwoman.

“The second part of our mission is to enhance and promote the Cathedral as a venue for arts and education for Catholics and the broader community,” she said. “This performance of ‘Le Chemin de la Croix’ is a good example.”

“The performance will showcase our organ and Stephen’s talents, and the words are an extension of the musical meditation — it’s an integrated whole,” Schaffner said.

‘“Le Chemin de la Croix’ provides a new experience, allowing us to walk with Jesus, be a witness and share in his suffering,” she said. “We hope it will add to everyone’s Lenten journey.”