Romel Joseph Day
Encyclopedia
Romel Joseph Day was proclaimed by Connecticut
Governor, M. Jodi Rell
at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut on June 6, 2010.
, was delivering a phone message on the third floor of the school when the deadly earthquake of January 12, 2010 hit. Mr. Joseph's legs and feet were pinned beneath the rubble for eighteen hours straight. Keeping track of time with a watch designed for the blind, he played one concerto every hour in his head and pretended that he was in a concert hall. A combination of this and prayer enabled him to survive until he was rescued by his employees and friends. While trapped, Mr. Joseph concluded that he must rebuild his school and continue teaching music as he had when it was destroyed by a fire exactly ten years previously, on January 12, 2000.
" by Mozart, "Alleluia" by Randall Thompson
and "Largo" from the New world Symphony by Antonín Dvořák
were some of the main musical selections, ending with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
. Performers from the Hartford Chorale, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra
, and other local music groups volunteered their time and talent for the cause. The event also featured performances by the Honors Brass Choir, the Modern Dance Ensemble, and the Hartt School Suzuki String Ensemble
. As the concert costs were paid for by sponsors, 100% of all ticket sales and donations were gifted to the New Victorian School.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Governor, M. Jodi Rell
M. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut on June 6, 2010.
Background
Romel Joseph, the Executive Director of the New Victorian School in Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, was delivering a phone message on the third floor of the school when the deadly earthquake of January 12, 2010 hit. Mr. Joseph's legs and feet were pinned beneath the rubble for eighteen hours straight. Keeping track of time with a watch designed for the blind, he played one concerto every hour in his head and pretended that he was in a concert hall. A combination of this and prayer enabled him to survive until he was rescued by his employees and friends. While trapped, Mr. Joseph concluded that he must rebuild his school and continue teaching music as he had when it was destroyed by a fire exactly ten years previously, on January 12, 2000.
Benefit concert
Following the Governor's speech, a concert called "Song for Haiti" was performed, consisting of the Song for Haiti festival Choir and Orchestra. "Ave Verum CorpusAve verum Corpus
Ave verum corpus is a short Eucharistic hymn that has been set to music by various composers. It dates from the 14th century and has been attributed to Popes Innocent III, Innocent IV and Innocent VI....
" by Mozart, "Alleluia" by Randall Thompson
Randall Thompson
Randall Thompson was an American composer, particularly noted for his choral works.-Career:He attended Harvard University, became assistant professor of music and choir director at Wellesley College, and received a doctorate in music from the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music...
and "Largo" from the New world Symphony by Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
were some of the main musical selections, ending with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
Symphony No. 9
Works with the title Symphony No. 9 include:*Sir Malcolm Arnold's Symphony No. 9*Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Choral*Havergal Brian's Symphony No. 9*Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9, sometimes referred to as dem lieben Gott...
. Performers from the Hartford Chorale, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Hartford Symphony Orchestra
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Hartford, Connecticut.-External links:* - Official site*...
, and other local music groups volunteered their time and talent for the cause. The event also featured performances by the Honors Brass Choir, the Modern Dance Ensemble, and the Hartt School Suzuki String Ensemble
Hartt School
The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford located in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States that offers innovative degree programs in music, dance, and theatre...
. As the concert costs were paid for by sponsors, 100% of all ticket sales and donations were gifted to the New Victorian School.
External links
- Song for Haiti
- Romel Joseph at Song for Haiti Benefit Concert, Hartford, Connecticut: Photo Gallery by The Catholic Photographer
- http://blogs.courant.com/curtain/2010/05/music-for-haiti.html
- http://www.choralnet.org/view/257936
- http://www.foothillsmediagroup.com/articles/2010/05/25/entertainment/doc4bf7181628b1a085388606.txt
- http://www.thenewvictorianschool.org