Eucharistic Symphony in Budapest on 10 September 2021 - An endless applause

Eucharistic Symphony in Budapest – An endless applause

The Eucharistic Symphony was composed in Jerusalem, where Christians are so few as to be a small minority, but so divided as to form twelve churches. In Budapest, however, the Catholic Church comprises 58% of the population, and the other Christian Confessions are small in number. The proposal of the Franciscan Friars of Hungary to perform the Eucharistic Symphony of Fr. Armando Pierucci on the occasion of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress well reflects Hungary’s open attitude towards Eastern Churches.  

The Hungarians had already heard it in 2014 in the cathedral of St Stephan the King, and Archbishop Peter Erdö was enthusiastic about it. Thus the idea for the International Eucharistic Congress: "If it is not yet possible to gather all the Christian Confessions for a Eucharistic celebration around the same altar, at least let's get together to sing the hymns that each Church uses in its Eucharistic celebration".

And so it happened. On September 10, 2021, the choirs Sant’Ephrem and S. Angela, the Budapest Strings Orchestra, the soloists Zoltn Megyesi (tenor) and Kinga Sirakné Kemény (soprano), under the direction of maestro Andras Viragh performed the Eucharistic Symphony.

Together with this ensemble of over 70 elements, twelve singers, who came from Jerusalem and other countries, sang the melody as it is sung in the individual Churches as a prelude to each piece. This served to create a double curiosity in the public: that of hearing the singing of the various Churches, and that of hearing what the author had come up with, with the symphonic ensemble of 70 elements.

The concert were two hours of heavenly music, splendidly performed. A monsignor of the Vatican, before the concert, said to Father Armando Pierucci: «Be careful, I'm a musician too. I will also judge it for the music. Eventually the monsignor stopped sitting on the judge's seat. He too let himself be carried away by the wave of sweetness and strength released by the sacred music. The commotion involved all those present, who, in the variety of liturgical vestments and rites, in the richness of the songs, recognized that they were part of the one Church of Christ, and rejoiced at the splendor of the music of this one Church.

"Rarely," said a diplomat, "I have heard in this hall of the Academy, built by Franz Liszt, so many applause: free, rhythmic, cordial. "

The Laus Plena Foundation supported and co-organised the professional recording of the Symphony, bringing the Musician and Sound engineer Michael Rast to Budapest. The recording was made in cooperation with the team of Gergely Latakos, responsabile for the recording studio of the F. Liszt Academy of Budapest. The Foundation will produce a CD of the Symphony and will support the Hungarian Franciscan Province for the production of the concert’s video. The FLP also supports the Hungarian Franciscan Province in some expenses related to the concert. The proceeds of the concert will be donated by the Hungarian Franciscan Province to the Magnificat Institute of Jerusalem, founded by Father Armando Pierucci.