St. John’s University celebrated the Christmas season with the
Long Island Masterworks Chorus and Orchestra in its presentation of
The Nativity, produced by St. John’s Alumnus
Bernard D. Kennedy ‘54CBA, ‘58L, ‘99HON.
The fully staged opera, held in Carnesecca
Arena on St. John’s Queens campus, was met with rave
reviews and a standing ovation from an estimated crowd of more than
1,000 on Saturday, December 10. The production
tells the story of the Nativity, from the prophecies through the
birth of baby Jesus, performed by the Long Island Masterworks
Orchestra, a professional cast of singers and the St. John’s
University Mixed Chorus.
The orchestra was directed by Frances
C. Roberts, founding conductor of Long Island
Masterworks, the Long Island
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Long Island
Choral Festival and Institute.
Proving that its never to late to start a second career in life,
Kennedy, 86, a lawyer by trade, took his love for classical music
at age 74 and started a new calling by writing religious hymns. His
passion progressed to writing a full-fledged opera that is now, in
his own words, something beyond his wildest dreams.
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