The Provenance of Del Tredici's Herrick's Oratorio and Thanks to Father Graeme Napier

Thanks, Liz Thomson, co-founder and Director of The Village Trip, together with Cliff Pearson, for helping me clarify the provenance of Herrick’s Oratorio.

Fr. Graeme Napier, Rector of St. John’s in the Village, hoped to commission a mass for St. John’s in the Village. David said he couldn’t see himself writing a mass, but he came up with Herrick’s Oratorio instead. St. John’s in the Village did not have the funds for the commission. Liz Thomson, Mark Shapiro, Fr. Graeme, David & I met at David’s place in Westbeth and outlined our hopes that the first performance could be held at St. John’s in the Village as part of the fledgling arts festival, The Village Trip

Years went by, and David feared he’d die before the premiere. The RSF paid the commission and copy costs and also took the work to Mark Shapiro, conductor of Cantori NY. RSF has worked with Cantori since 2012.
Mark Shapiro needed more forces and a larger spaece. Moreover, his singers have a schedule that makes an ambitious project in September nearly impossible.

We acknowledge Father Graeme Napier as the one who provided the first impulse toward Herrick’s Oratorio.

I just got off the phone with David and he confirmed these points, but he also said he does not remember writing the piece, this due to Parkinson’s. David agreed that Fr. Graeme should be mentioned on the score.

We can amend as necessary as others fill in details.

–Notes on the First Performance–

–William Anderson