This Sunday, the Eugene Concert Choir is performing the music of Paul McCartney.
But if you attend, don’t expect to hear familiar tunes from The Beatles. Instead, the concert features McCartney’s little known classical work called the “Liverpool Oratorio.”
“I heard the work in 1991, and it stuck in my mind immediately,” said Diane Retallack, the Artistic Director of the Eugene Concert Choir. “There's not that many oratorios that you could go and listen to for the first time and get everything completely accessible, feel it, hear it, walk out and be singing it.”
Retallack has been thinking about the “Liverpool Oratorio” since hearing it for the first time 35 years ago. She describes herself as a lifelong fan of The Beatles, and cites the group as inspiration for her love of music.
When Retallack initially heard this piece, she noticed how different it was from other oratorios.
An oratorio is a musical composition that follows a narrative and is performed by a large choir. Oratorios are often historical works that follow the plot of biblical stories.
This oratorio does feature a large choir and a narrative. But Retallack said instead of focusing on a biblical story, this piece is about McCartney’s life as he grew up in Liverpool.
“And it goes through the story of him meeting the love of his life, Linda, and it goes through their wedding, death of a parent, the birth of a child, up to that point in his life in 1991. So it's a very relatable story,” said Retallack.
She said people should not be intimidated to experience this classical work, because McCartney’s signature ear-catching melodies and lyricism shine throughout.
“These are melodies we can all sing, and they have words that we relate to,” said Retallack.
Along with Retallack, many members of the Eugene Concert Choir are lifelong fans of The Beatles.
Marilyn Nelson said she grew up listening to the group and watching them perform on television. She’s excited to introduce Beatles fans in Eugene to a McCartney composition they might not be familiar with.
“If you listen to it, you still hear some McCartney-sounding themes running throughout it, and it's just a wonderful opportunity to perform something that a lot of people haven't heard,” said Nelson.
Retallack said because this oratorio isn’t considered a classic work, she isn’t sure if it will ever be performed in Oregon again.
“This is a rare opportunity,” she said. “This work has never been performed here in Eugene, never been performed in Oregon. And I don't know that people will ever get an opportunity to hear it again.”
Paul McCartney’s “Liverpool Oratorio” is being performed by the Eugene Concert Choir and Orchestra, with four guest soloists and special guests The All-American Boys Chorus of Santa Ana, California. The performance is on Sunday, May 17 at 2:30 p.m. at the Hult Center.
