Angels

The custom of teaching Bible stories by means of sacred drama is an old and venerable one. Angels follows this tradition. Working with librettist John Vorrasi, William Ferris has created a striking portrait of the Archangels Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael. During the summer of 1988 William Ferris was commissioned by Keynote Arts Associates of New York to write a short work for a chorus and orchestra of young performers. The only condition stipulated was that the orchestra be "Classical" in its layout and size so that the text could be clearly articulated and readily understood and enjoyed by listeners. "I was irresistibly drawn to the delightful Modern Music text by the 18th century American William Billings" writes composer Ferris. "The words are a composer's dream. The energy, color and rhythmic vitality of the text as well as the endless opportunities it provided for word-painting with vocal, harmonic and orchestral effects made it a sheer joy to set to music. The form of my composition is easy to grasp and follows text in all of its leaps, bounds and commands!" Ferris is the first American composer to teach at the Vatican. His Holiness Pope John Paul II conferred a Papal knighthood upon him in 1989 and Radio Vatican broadcast a concert of his music worldwide. In 1971 he founded the William Ferris Chorale, an ensemble dedicated to celebrating music of the 20th century. For seven years he was organist of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral. During Fulton J. Sheen's episcopacy as Bishop of Rochester, New York, Ferris was organist and choirmaster at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Sir William Walton said: "What a splendid chorus the Chorale is. How lustily they sang. It is really first class!"