A new work of music — in honour of Jesus’s grandmother
Do you know the name of Jesus’s grandmother?
Most people don’t have a clue. But that will change a little bit after Saturday, when a concert will feature a brand-new composition dedicated to St. Anne.
The composer is 24-year-old Justin Lapierre of Cambridge, whose family is from Montmagny, a part of Quebec where Anne is revered. One of the world’s biggest shrines to her is in a nearby town, Sainte-Annede-Beaupré.
“I think my grandmother had more pictures of St. Anne than she had of me,” Lapierre jokes.
Anne, the mother of Jesus’s mother Mary, is not mentioned in the Bible. But Lapierre was fascinated to learn that her story is described in the Qur’an.
“When I found that out, I thought, ‘That is so beautiful,’ ” said Lapierre.
“Most French Canadians don’t actually know there is a link between Islam and Christianity,” he said.
At the heart of the “Mass of Saint Anne” is a setting of a poem by R
The setting is dedicated to the victims of the 2017 attack on a mosque in Quebec City, in which six worshippers were murdered.
Lapierre emphasizes the similarities between the principles of Christianity and Islam throughout the work. Also interwoven through he music are Québécois hymns and folk music, the narrative of St. Anne that is found in the Qur’an as well as other Christian texts, and the phrase “Peace be with you,” which is said by Catholics attending mass, with a handshake to people sitting nearby.
When the 26-minute work receives its premiere Saturday night at St. Matthews Lutheran Church in downtown Kitchener, Lapierre will be among friends.
He is a graduate from the faculty of music at Wilfrid Laurier University. Many of the singers and instrumentalists are students and graduates of the same school. He met conductor Ben Wallace at Laurier as well.
Lapierre is studying for his master’s degree in composition at University of Toronto.
He has already made his mark as a composer. His works have been programmed by the DaCapo Chamber Choir of Waterloo, the Aliro Voices choir in Minneapolis, and the Canadian Chamber Choir, among others.
For more information about the concert, and to hear excerpts of the “Mass of Saint Anne,” visit Lapierre’s website: jlapierremusic.weebly.com/choral.html