WILLIAMSBURG – Gerard Connolly’s lifelong dreams come true in just one night.
The singer and composer, whose work is influenced by his Catholic faith, will have the chance of a lifetime when he presents the world premiere of “Revelation,” a concert of songs and poems he has written based on biblical passages, at Opera House at the Emmaus Center in Williamsburg on Friday, August 16 at 7pm
Connolly, 66, a hospital administrator, is a parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Church in Howard Beach and has been writing and singing religious songs for decades.
He performed at World Youth Day in Paris in 1997 and one of his songs, “The Unveiling”, was featured in the televised funeral mass for Pope John Paul II in 2005.
But “Revelation” will mark a turning point for him.
“I feel like my entire life’s work has come together in this piece,” he explained. “It’s all there, everything I believe in and everything that is central to my life.”
Revelation is full of songs that depict passages from the Bible. In a surprising twist, Connolly presents the songs from the perspective of the subjects of the biblical passages, so that they are perceived as completely human.
Connolly said he put a lot of thought into each section. The overture, for example, contains seven motifs, “because God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day.”
“Revelation” is a family affair for the Connollys. Gerard’s three daughters – Joanna Connolly Pepe and Shannon and Rachael Connolly – will carry out in the show, together with other musicians.
At a rehearsal before the show, Pepe described it as a dream come true for the whole family.
“This show is really the answer to many prayers because my whole family has wanted him and his music to be on stage and performed,” said Pepe, who is music director of Our Lady of Victory Church in Floral Park in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. “So this is really the culmination of everything we have dreamed of for my father for so long,”
Pepe said it was fitting that her father’s music was so closely aligned with the teachings of the Church.
“The beauty of the church is that it is the original patron of the arts. It is the first place where artists could find fulfillment and careers and support themselves through the practice of their art,” she added.
Connolly, who grew up in Howard Beach, said he always attended Mass, but it wasn’t until he met his wife, Joanne, at a charismatic prayer meeting at age 20 that he became more committed to his Catholic faith.
“That’s when everything came together for me,” he remembers.
Steve Retas, who produces “Revelation” and is related to Connolly, said he came on board after hearing about Connolly’s ambitious plans for a show and immediately thought of the Emmaus Center. His company, Technical Arts Group, has staged concerts there before.
“It’s overwhelming to do something like this for someone who probably would never have had the opportunity to put on a show like this,” Retas said.
Connolly hopes that “Revelation” is not just a one-off event. “I would really like to see it performed in churches and schools,” he said.
Retas sees “revelation” as an instrument of evangelization that can bring people closer to the faith.
“The world is kind of upside down right now,” he explained. “I think it would be a great thing for the community to do a little missionary work and see if we can motivate people.”
Whether he’s putting on a big show like “Revelation” or performing in a church, Connolly has a specific goal with his music: “I want to share the gospel through art. I want to share it with people in a new way.”
Tickets for “Revelation” are available at: https://www.3leafproduktions.com/revelation
