Messiaen’s Book of the Holy Sacrament

Saturday, March 11 at 9:30am - lecture

Sunday, March 12 at 7:00pm - concert

Organist David Vogels will perform the 18-movement Livre du Saint Sacrement in its entirety on the 62-rank Reuter organ at Augustana Lutheran Church. Commissioned by the American Guild of Organists in 1986, this masterpiece is one of the most significant works of the past century. 

For the first time, the music will be accompanied by images on large video screens, showing the text quotations, birds, Gregorian chants, colors, and stained-glass windows that are woven into Messiaen’s vast tapestry of sound. 

Since this monumental composition is loaded with more hidden codes and theological references than a Dan Brown novel, Vogels will unlock the doors to understanding the piece for the optimum listening experience in a lecture-demonstration on Saturday, March 11, summarizing the underlying quotations and the sound-design elements of Messiaen’s musical language.  

Event takes place at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E Alameda Ave, Denver CO 80246. FREE tickets available at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35350/production/1126207performanceId=11096691