P. Armando Pierucci OFM

The symphony draws on the traditional music of the twelve Christian churches living side by side in Jerusalem, with passages usually sung in the Eucharistic liturgy. These inspired the twelve movements of the symphony.

The result is a piece of music that, while having Western characteristics, enters into dialogue with different cultures and eras, including ancient Armenian, Byzantine, Syriac-Aramaic, Ethiopian, Coptic and Chaldean musical traditions. The symphony also incorporates musical modalities that are now only preserved in Eastern traditions. In order to preserve the liturgical authenticity of the original music, the movements begin with a cappella performances of melodies preserved intact in the Eastern churches by twelve singers representing each religion, followed by an orchestra and choir to unfold the theme.

The interplay of the different ecclesiastical traditions gives the symphony not only a very unique musical sound, but also a deep spirituality.

Conductor: András Virágh
Soloists: Zoltán Megyesi – tenor and Kinga Sirákné Kemény - soprano.

Contributing: Budapest Strings, concert master: János Pilz,
artistic director: Károly Botvay Saint Ephraim Choir,
artistic director: Tamás Bubnó Saint Angela Choir,
conductor: Dr Gabriella Semjénné Menus and the representatives of the 12 Christian churches, including guests from the Holy Land

Tickets are available at the Music Academy Ticket Office and at www.jegy.hu. Information: www.zeneakademia.hu, www.ferencesek.hu Director: Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Hungary Donations will be made to the Magnificat Institute of Music of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. Tickets are not available at the venue.

Liturgical book

(click to the picture!)

Main Celebrant: Card. Péter Erdő

Music will be provided by the Teachers’ Choir and the St. Cecilia Choir of the Cathedral Choir School of Vác and the Central Orchestra of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The choir school was founded by Father László Varga, diocesan music director and artistic director of the school.

The St. Cecilia Choir, which has been singing in the liturgy of the Episcopal Cathedral since 1955, is now one of the highest quality and largest choirs in the country, having received Pro Urbe and Nívó awards.

The Central Orchestra of the Hungarian Defence Forces is one of the most professional brass ensembles in Hungarian military music, representing the cultural values and military traditions of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The orchestra’s high quality professional work is proven by the thanks and medals it has received from Hungarian and foreign state and military leaders. A harmonious duality of unbroken tradition and continuous renewal has characterised the history of the band for more than one hundred and ten years. Its repertoire is diverse, ranging from traditional wind music to contemporary modern music and popular music. The conductor is Lieutenant Colonel Imre Szabó and the assistant conductor is Major András Major.

The Central Orchestra will be conducted by Colonel Zsolt Csizmadia, MH Chief Conductor and Canon László Varga, Catholic priest at the Kossuth Square Mass.

The IEC organisers welcome and invite all ages for the Congress programs. The IEC Festival of Families, to be held on Margaret Island, is organized by the Families in Jesus Catholic Community. The event is part of the “Catholic Social Days” (KATTÁRS) program series initiated by the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Families are greeted by well-known performers on two podiums with talks and music. Just to sample a few of the artists: Ági Szalóki, András Berecz, the Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble of Debrecen, the Mistral Musical Group, and neurosurgeon András Csókay.

Tents are going to be set up around the podiums, where each age group will find relevant topics to their interest, be it either self-knowledge, relationship issues or environmental questions. Children are awaited by monastic orders and communities, offering them handicraft sessions, treasure hunting, geocaching, wall climbing and a variety of sport activities.

It is a great pleasure for all of us to be able to organise such a super event in the very period when families and fathers receive special attention. Pope Frances launched the Year of the Family on the 5th anniversary of the publication of his Apostolic Exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia”, and even the special year of St. Joseph, focusing on the fathers, is still on.

Organisers of the IEC Festival of Families would like the encouragement of Apostle Paul to determine the spirituality of this time spent together: “I have become all things to all people so that by all means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22) Our organizing principle is: all benevolent people are invited and awaited for the event. Programs are offered for all ages.

More than 70 tents are available for everyone interested in handicraft sessions, spiritual talks, confession possibilities, intercessory prayer, moreover, even recreational and leisure facilities are provided here for everybody. We can meet with members of monastic orders, communities and other aid organisations as well.

The talks and music programs are to be held on two podiums. Performers, in addition to their shows, will talk about their lives, faith, their meeting with God and how they were seeking their path – this spiritual motif of the event fundamentally tells apart the IEC Festival of Families from any other family programs.

Performers of the grand podium:

• Ági Szalóki
• Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble of Debrecen
• Kaláka Musical Group
• András Berecz
• Mistral Musical Group
• Magidom, Musical Artists
• Robi Bérczesi
• Eucharist Orchestra
• Béla Pintér, László Prazsák, Misi Mező, László Csiszér, Jenő Sillye

Performers of the chamber podium:

• Dr Csaba Nemes (creation protection)
• Father Zoltán Orsós and Erika Liszli - Cappuccino program
• Pál Oberfrank
• András Hodász and Pál Göttinger
• Irish Coffee band
• Boys Choir of the Eger Archdiocese
• Balázs Bolyki and the B4
• Dr András Csókay
• Flamma Cordis Violin Duo
• Shalom community

Topics to be covered in the tent for talks:

• What on earth creation protection is for?
• Daily routine best practices in the creation protection
• Partnership issues
• Friars on vocation care
• The Christian Roma College Network introduces himself

Attending the programs is taken as a testimony as well: a testimony of God, the Church, the marriage and family, and a standing up for the protection of the created world. To close the event, organisers plan to take a drone photo of the Eucharist, shaped by the attendees. Following this “family photo”, with the leadership of János Székely we walk together to Kossuth Square to attend a Ceremonial Holy Mass, and afterwards to take part in one of the most beautiful events of the IEC, the Candlelight Procession.

The Festival of Families is open to everyone, neither attendance fee nor registration is required.

Program:

• Concert
• Worship
• Testimonies
• Adoration

Main Celebrant: Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich

The Holy Mass includes the movements of ”Budapest Mass”.

The Budapest Mass is based on Jewish melodies sung in Latin. Its sounds embrace the traditions of classical sacred music, the lilting melody and bouncy rhythms of klezmer and Yiddish music, but also appeals to the modern listener's symphonic film music sensibility.

The composer is Péter Pejtsik, whose oeuvre blends music from neighbouring and distant peoples and cultures, and a range of styles from classical music to progressive rock music, into a sound that is both contemporary and timeless.

His musical credo is that the boundaries between 'serious' and 'light' are not at all where one might think they are according to the conventional musical styles. He is also the composer of the modern orchestration of the 1938 Eucharistic hymn "Sing of Victory", which is also this year's IEC anthem.

This Mass is a symbolic expression of the Church's fidelity to her roots, her welcoming love and her message to contemporary society. It also rhymes with the motto of the Eucharistic Congress: "All my fountain springs from you". In this way it draws our attention to the person of Jesus Christ.

Contributors:
Andrejszki Judit – vocals
The Hungarian State Opera House Orchestra
The Voicestation Choir
Conductor: Pejtsik Péter

Liturgical book

(click to the picture!)

Main Celebrant: S.E.R Josip Bozanić

Liturgical book

(click to the picture!)