A Nun And A Composer Team Up To Tell St. Francis’s Story: ‘He Continues To Speak’
Over the course of eight centuries, many titles have been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: The “Little Poor Man” (il Poverello in Italian), founder of the Franciscan Order, patron saint of animals/ecology and Troubadour of the Great King.
Given this last, it’s fitting that a special oratorio has been composed to honor the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death in 1226, which will premiere Oct. 10-11 by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, including soloists and a 120-voice chorus.
Development of the 75-minute piece, titled “Francis (An Oratorio in Nine Scenes),” began well before this jubilee year declared by Pope Leo XIV.
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“In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear, [St. Francis] continues to speak,” wrote Pope Leo in his letter to the Ministers General of the Conference of the Franciscan Family on the Occasion of the Opening of the Eighth Centenary of the Death of St. Francis of Assisi. “Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.”
Pope Leo’s letter continued, “The Franciscan vision of peace is not limited to the relations between human beings, but also embraces the whole of creation. Francis, who calls the sun ‘brother’ and the moon ‘sister’, who recognizes in every creature a reflection of divine beauty, reminds us that peace must be extended to the entire family of Creation.”
Grammy-award-winning composer Richard Danielpour, distinguished professor of music at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA, wished to share St. Francis’ vision of peace and his love of creation in the composition. As early as 2021, he related, he visualized how the narrator would be an angel — a female — who would not sing, but link the scenes together in spoken word with “halo-like music” behind her.
“It started out by my thinking of doing kind of a Christmas oratorio, and it morphed into what we now have,” he said.
Danielpour’s friendship with Sister Margaret Carney, OSF, president emerita of St. Bonaventure University and a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, led him to discuss the idea for the oratorio with her. “I’m very grateful that she kept urging me to consider it,” he said.
Danielpour and Carney traveled to Assisi in September 2021.
“I was very struck by Assisi, in that it was unbelievably strong in its gentleness,” he recalled.
He credited the atmosphere of the historic Italian city for the overall sound and tenor of the final piece of music.
By offering Carney a structure and suggestions of the kinds of texts needed to blend with the musical score, Danielpour relied on her extensive knowledge of Franciscan spirituality and the writings of St. Francis to create a story that would engage those in the audience during the upcoming performances.
Carney’s first thought when Danielpour raised the subject: “Me? Write a libretto?”
“It's a highly stylized form and I've never done anything like that,” she said. “I was entering into a universe that was totally unfamiliar.”
Still, she added, “Richard was very insistent that I had the knowledge base to do it,” so she set to work, assisted by JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and drawing on her own experiences teaching English literature and writing poetry.
Carney’s biggest challenge, she said, was what to choose from among many sources.
“If you're going to do a brief life of Francis, where do you put the focus to appeal to a modern audience?” she asked herself.
Danielpour wanted the oratorio to be as interesting as possible for 21st-century listeners, while conveying the thoughts not only of St. Francis, but of his contemporaries.
“Many people in his time thought Francis was crazy,” he said. He hopes the oratorio “compels the listener to decide whether he was out of his mind or enlightened.”
The chorus, in one scene of the oratorio, sings, “Crazy! Idiot! Demented! Mad!”
St. Clare steps in to defend St. Francis, their agreement that loving God and loving one’s neighbor is the essence of Christian living.
The composition touches on key themes that reflect both the spirituality of St. Francis and “the way Pope Francis channeled St. Francis' message to the 21st century,” said Carney. The piece is dedicated to the memory of Pope Francis, she added, being pleased to show “the correspondence between how Francis mediated the Gospel in his time with how Pope Francis mediated the Gospel in our time.”
Both Danielpour and Carney saw their efforts come to life during a workshop performance at the end of the UCLA 2026 spring term. The chorus was accompanied by piano. James K. Bass, chair of the department of music, performance, education and composition at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA and Director of Choral Studies, described how such a workshop “gives the composer a chance to hear [the music] in its early stages and make adjustments.”
Having a long working relationship with Danielpour, Bass was deeply touched by the oratorio.
“The amazing arc and life story of Francis is captured in this music,” he said. “In the moments Francis was doubting himself and questioning his decisions, the music has that ambivalence.”
Yet, Bass added, as Francis becomes convinced that he is following the call given him by the Lord, the music’s tone reflects the state of his soul.
“It’s a wonderful musical journey,” Bass added. “Really fascinating.”
Danielpour wanted to create, “One big prayer leading up to the Canticle,” which is the final scene of the oratorio.
The premiere in Buffalo will be, he acknowledged, “Exactly what I intended.”
He’s pleased to be able to present the story of “someone who is so profoundly human,” dealing with the joys and challenges of all human beings as they travel their spiritual journey.
Tickets are currently on sale for the Oct. 10-11 performances, presented by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Julie A. Ferraro has been a writer for over five decades and a journalist more than 35 years. She owns Ferraro Creative, providing website and communications services primarily to Catholic religious communities. She is a mother and grandmother living near Pittsburgh, Penn.