A Tribute to John F. Kennedy Featuring. Mozart's Requiem, Boston Ma

Good afternoon. My name is Matthew Ogden and on behalf of the Schiller Institute, it is my great honor to welcome all of you to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, for this fiftieth anniversary performance of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem Mass in honor of our late President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. We are very grateful today to the Archdiocese of Boston, to Cardinal Seán O'Malley, and most especially to Leo Abbott, music director of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, for the opportunity to host this historic event. On January 19th, 1964, fifty years ago today, this Cathedral was filled to capacity, as 1800 people gathered here to hear Maestro Erich Leinsdorf conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a combined chorus of 180 singers, as they performed the Mozart Requiem Mass. Jacqueline Kennedy and other members of the Kennedy family were seated right here, in the front pew of the Cathedral. Another 3,000 people were gathered outside, unable to get in, while millions more watched the performance over a live, nationwide television broadcast. Today you will hear the Schiller Institute Chorus, together with soloists and an orchestra assembled especially for this occasion, under the direction of our conductor John Sigerson. This chorus also performed the Mozart Requiem recently, in the Washington, D.C. area, on November 22nd, the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's death. And since that concert, we have had the fortune of coming into contact with a very special person, Mr. Nicholas Di Virgilio, who was the tenor soloist here, during the 1964 performance, fifty years ago. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, Mr. Di Virgilio could not join us here today, but he sent this note of remembrance, which he wanted to share with all of you. He says: "The day of the memorial mass at Holy Cross Cathedral was somber, to say the least, and Maestro Leinsdorf's comment before the quick tempo run-through was that he chose Mozart's Requiem because both men were 'young' at death, and for that reason appropriate for the occasion." "Cardinal Cushing was the officiate aided by the Brother Monks singing Gregorian Chant, after which each appropriate chant, the Boston Symphony, large choral group, and we soloists, Sara Mae Endich, Eunice Alberts, Mac Morgon, and I, sang Mozart's corresponding part of the Mass. The most telling moment for me was during the soloists' Benedictus section, which came during the communion distribution at the altar rail. The Kennedy family and close relatives, as well as close friends, came to the altar to receive communion. Jacqueline Kennedy came to the altar and knelt no more than 9 feet in front of me. To me the Benedictus is the most beautiful and the most moving part of Mozart's Mass and a joy to sing under ordinary circumstances. Seeing her kneeling in prayer and seeing mascara streaming down her cheeks during the Benedictus struck me with such a strong emotional bolt that I had no recollection of having sung. The Cathedral was filled to capacity by an invited congregation, the only member absent was Robert Kennedy who was in the Far East. Congratulations to all of you in remembering this occasion in this very appropriate way. My best wishes to you and all pertaining to this project." - Nicholas Di Virgilio, Tenor soloist in the January 19th, 1964 performance. Now, as you just heard Mr. Di Virgilio describe, the 1964 performance took place as part of a solemn pontifical mass, celebrated by Richard Cardinal Cushing, who was Archbishop of the Boston Archdiocese at the time. This was the first time Mozart's Requiem had been performed as part of the full Catholic liturgy in the United States. After the mass was concluded, Cardinal Cushing delivered a short eulogy for Kennedy, which I'd like to read part of for you, right now. He said the following: "Boston's own John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his dear Jacqueline enriched the White House with the best in art and culture, and in music. During a comparatively brief residence therein, they frequently filled that Presidential mansion with the inspiration of Classical entertainment, presented before kings and queens, princes and paupers, who came in an endless procession to pay their respects to the leader of the world's most powerful nation. No tribute, therefore, my dearly beloved, to our departed President and his charming wife, could be more fitting than the spiritual, artistic, and the liturgical service of this morning. No one will fail to note also the appropriateness of selecting Mozart's Requiem for America's martyred President. The genius of art and the genius of leadership are joined together in this single event. Separated by centuries, they were both touched by a creative instinct uncommon in any generation; both brought out of their youth a shining light which will illumine the ages; both were summoned to eternity at a moment which to us mortals certainly seems untimely. The President had hardly started on his most promising career to guard the country and the world for peace; Mozart died before he finished his Requiem. Yet the memory of men still enshrines both names among the great of this world. Today, in the unforgettable music of Mozart, we have heard again in our hearts the stirring voice of our once-youthful leader; in the artistic expression of Mozart we have caught the unmistakable accent of John F. Kennedy. The destiny of greatness which they shared brings them together in the presence of the God of the altar, Who so richly endowed them with His gifts." And Cardinal Cushing concluded, "Let this day, my beloved, be for us all, a lasting remembrance of the manner in which the goodness of the Creator touches again, and again, the life and the history of man as it is recorded in time. Just as death is our common lot, life is our common experience. If from death comes sorrow, we must remember that out of life, comes beauty and joy and love and all else that is a foretaste of eternity." Now, we have a number of featured guests joining us today, whom I will introduce in just a moment, but first I would like to read one written greeting, which has come in, which I think President Kennedy would especially appreciate, being, as many people here know, a very proud Irish Catholic, whose family was originally forced to emigrate to Boston to escape the great famine of 1848. In fact, when Kennedy made his famous trip to Ireland in the spring of 1963, he was the first foreign head of state of a great power to visit that country, since it had gained its independence from the British. He addressed the Dáil, the Irish Parliament in Dublin, he visited Galway, Limerick, Cork, and his ancestral home in County Wexford. So our first greeting comes in from Michael D. Higgins, the President of the Republic of Ireland, who says, simply: Michael D Higgins, President of the Republic of Ireland, extends his best wishes for the memorial concert of the martyred son of Ireland, U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Next, I would like to ask Ambassador Flynn to approach the podium. While he's coming up, I can tell you that Mr. Raymond Flynn is the former Mayor of the City of Boston, serving as Mayor from 1984 to 1993. After serving as Mayor, he was then appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, a post that he served in from 1993 to 1997. So it's my great pleasure to introduce to you, Ambassador Raymond Flynn. Thank you, good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Boston. Welcome to this historic Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, built by immigrants who came to this country and settled in Boston, and history books are filled with their accomplishments, their successes, their families. And so, we are so proud that all of you, and particularly this ensemble could be with us here on this very historic day. This Cathedral has hosted many incredible events, talking about the John Kennedy visit here, and John Kennedy's memorial service here in 1964. I was here, and you mentioned Richard Cardinal Cushing. I guess in South Boston, where I'm from, they say my claim to fame -- not Mayor, not the United States Ambassador, but I used to be Richard Cardinal Cushing's newspaper boy -- I used to sell newspapers to him. Well, he was here; this Cathedral is full of history. And I know I speak for all the people of Boston when I welcome you here, thank you for being here, and thank you for sharing your talents on this historic day that meant so much to the people of the City of Boston. So have a wonderful concert, have a wonderful afternoon, welcome to Boston. I'm sure I speak on behalf of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston Seán Patrick O'Malley, a wonderful, wonderful leader of the Roman Catholic Church, in welcoming you all, as well as the Pastor here, Kevin O'Leary here at the Cathedral, welcoming you all. And let's have a great concert. God bless all of you. God bless all of you. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ambassador Flynn. Next, we have a special greeting from Stephen J. Murphy, who's a City Councilman-at-large for the City of Boston, and until last year, served as President of the Boston City Council. Mr. Murphy says the following: Dear Members of the Schiller Institute and Guests, It is with deepest sincerity that I thank you for organizing a tribute to President John F. Kennedy, through the performance of Mozart's Requiem in D minor on this fiftieth anniversary of the pontifical mass, held in the aftermath of President Kennedy's assassination. John F. Kennedy's time in office saw the American people through challenges and triumphs that highlighted the fortitude and the imagination of our people. The circumstances of our lives may have changed, but the ideals President Kennedy instilled in our nation still apply. It is vital that we recognize our roles and responsibilities as citizens, that protect and promote the rights of anyone who desires to be free. When we rise up as individuals, we become one nation, strong and inspiring. I have no doubt that the memory of John F. Kennedy will be truly honored by this performance, and it is my sincere hope that those in attendance leave with the desire to recommit to the values that led and lead this great nation, during a time of progress and achievement. Sincerely, Stephen J. Murphy Boston City Councilor-at-Large And finally, I have the great pleasure to introduce to you our featured speaker here, the founder of the Schiller Institute, Mrs. Helga Zepp-LaRouche who will make a few opening remarks before we begin the program. It is necessary to commemorate the celebration of Mozart's Requiem which was performed for John F. Kennedy, fifty years ago in this cathedral. It is urgent to evoke again the divine spirit and beauty of Mozart's composition in order to reconnect us with the better world which both Kennedy and Mozart represent. His assassination marks the deep cut, the change of paradigm of which the world suffers since. For the short years of his leadership, the nation and the world were inspired by his trust in the limitless perfectibility of man and his ability to face all challenges, due to the confidence in God, as well as in the creative ability of man to apply scientific and technological progress for the benefit of mankind. He was committed to guide America to contribute to the elimination of poverty in the whole world and to build a lasting peace among all nations. With his assassination, not only he was murdered, but the hope to achieve these goals. Today, fifty years later, world peace is in danger, large parts of the world are gripped by despair and poverty, and many youth are lacking a future. Recently, Pope Francis issued the Apostolic writing Evangelii Gaudium in which he insisted that the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," must also be applied to the economy and that we are living today under an economic system which idolizes money and which does kill people. He then called on the political leaders of today, to have an energetic change in their basic attitude and called on them to change that economic system with decisiveness and vision, into one that provides for the welfare of all people on the planet. In Kennedy's memory, we must, therefore, not only mourn the torment of the world, but it is our responsibility to follow the call of Pope Francis, to inspire new hope for mankind, by bringing the minds of people together, and generate a movement of inspiration devoted to bring about a revival of humanity from the looming destruction. Let us therefore participate in this concert with the solemn commitment, to passionately devote ourselves to Kennedy's vision, and carry out his vision for the future, and in that way, partake in his immortality. Thank you very much, Helga. Now, as many people may remember, just as Franklin Roosevelt's administration was known as the "New Deal," John F. Kennedy's administration was known as the "New Frontier." And President Kennedy made this the theme of his Presidency from the very first speech he made in his Presidential career, the speech that he delivered on the occasion of his acceptance of the Democratic nomination on July 15th, 1960. He caused people to remember, that the history of the United States has been one of pioneers constantly striving to conquer the land, to harness the rivers, to cultivate the soil, and to explore the unknown. From the time that John Winthrop first founded the city upon a hill, right here in Boston, that has been the history of our nation. What President Kennedy asked of the American people, when he first announced his campaign for the Presidency, as the Democratic nominee, was that this New Frontier, this idea of always conquering the unknown, not be something that was in the past, not be something that was merely in the history of our nation, but that today we stand on the edge of a new frontier, a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats. He said, "Beyond that frontier are the uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus. unanswered questions of poverty and surplus. I am asking each of you to be the pioneers on that new frontier." And this theme of the New Frontier pervaded and defined John F. Kennedy's Presidency, all the way to the point of his assassination. You are about to hear a speech that John F. Kennedy delivered on November 21st, 1963, the last speech that he made. And I ask you to think, about how John F. Kennedy's words apply, perhaps even more urgently, to what we are asked to do today. Thank you very much. For more than three years I have spoken about the New Frontier. This is not a partisan term, and it is not the exclusive property of Republicans or Democrats. It refers, instead, to this Nation's place in history, to the fact that we do stand on the edge of a great new era, filled with both crisis and opportunity, an era to be characterized by achievement and by challenge. It is an era which calls for action and for the best efforts of all those who would test the unknown and the uncertain in every phase of human endeavor. It is a time for pathfinders and pioneers.... There will be setbacks and frustrations and disappointments. There will be, as there always are, pressures in this country to do less in this area as in so many others, and temptations to do something else that is perhaps easier. But this research here must go on. But this research here must go on. This space effort must go on. The conquest of space must and will go ahead. That much we know. That much we can say with confidence and conviction. Frank O'Connor, the Irish writer, tells in one of his books how, as a boy, he and his friends would make their way across the countryside, and when they came to an orchard wall that seemed too high and too doubtful to try and too difficult to permit their voyage to continue, they took off their hats and tossed them over the wall-- and then they had no choice but to follow them. This Nation has tossed its cap over the wall of space, and we have no choice but to follow it. Whatever the difficulties, they will be overcome. Whatever the hazards, they must be guarded against. With the help and support of all Americans, we will climb this wall with safety and with speed-- and we shall then explore the wonders on the other side. Thank you. Grant them eternal peace, o Lord, and perpetual light. On that day of wrath, how great the fear, when the judge shall come. When the trumpet sounds, and all transgressions come to light, Who shall intercede for me? King! King, most fearsome, yet saving from grace alone, save me! Remember, merciful Jesus, the hard path you walked for my sake. When the accursed are damned to flames, call my name among the blessed. On that day of tears and judgement, Spare us by Your mercy, Grant them eternal rest. Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty... Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce. Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah to 'undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free.'... Now the trumpet summons us again--a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, 'rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation'-- a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself. Now it is time to take longer strides--time for a great new American enterprise--time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth.... I therefore ask the Congress, above and beyond the increases I have earlier requested for space activities, to provide the funds which are needed to meet the following national goals: First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. ... Secondly, an additional 23 million dollars, together with 7 million dollars already available, will accelerate development of the Rover nuclear rocket. This gives promise of some day providing a means for even more exciting and ambitious exploration of space, perhaps beyond the moon, perhaps to the very end of the solar system itself. ... This dam will produce enough electric energy, this one dam, to light the city of Edinburgh, in Scotland. This dam alone will supply enough irrigation area, larger than the nation of Luxembourg. This dam, and the rest of the dams on this river, which 30 years ago would have provided only floods, and darkness, now provide irrigation, and light. And though those of us who are here today, follow in the footsteps of those who made it possible, we share a satisfaction and also a commitment, that we must, in our time, make it easy for future Presidents of the United States, and future citizens, in the 1970s and '80s, to visit projects like this, which had been planned and carried out in our day. ... And the important lesson in all of those projects is that progress isn't being made as a result of a sudden idea, suddenly coming into fruition. Things do not happen, they are made to happen. And this project is the result, in our action today, of 30 years of men, some of whom have now died, who thought that this dam would help this valley. ... I hope that those of us who hold positions of public responsibility in 1962 are as farseeing about the needs of this country in 1982 and 1992 as those men and women were 30 years ago who began to make this project possible. ... What are we going to do in 1962, beginning today, to determine what projects we should develop so that by the end of this century, when there are 300 million people in the United States, there will be available to them land and water and light and power and resources, and places to live, and places to rest, and places to work? So we salute this project today, and we salute those who made it possible. And we look to the future and we look to the past, and we commit ourselves in 1962 not only to celebrate this project, but to move ahead in all the other areas stretching from California to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in building this country up. Every member of Congress, everyone in the Executive branch, from the President on, in the field of national resources, has to plan during their period of administration or of office, for the next generation. Because no project that we plan today will be beneficial to us. Anything we begin today, is for those who come after us, and just as those who began something years ago, make it possible for us to be here, I hope we'll fulfill our responsibility to the next generation that's going to follow us. This demonstrates our confidence in the future. Those people who come here from abroad, what they want to see is the Tennessee Valley. Ten years from now they'll want to see this project. And I hope in space and on the ground this country will continue its march forward. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space. Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolutions, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it--we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding. Yet the vows of this nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain. Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon ... We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too. For we have given this program a high national priority-- even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us. But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun --almost as hot as it is here today-- and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out-- then we must be bold. Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, liberate the souls of the faithful, departed Deliver the faithful from the pit of Hell. Let St. Michael lead them to holy light As was promised to Abraham and his seed Sacrifices and prayers of praise we offer to you, Lord. Let those souls we commemorate today pass from death unto life, As was promised to Abraham and his seed. We begin work on the largest nuclear power reactor for peaceful purposes in the world. And I take the greatest satisfaction of the United States being second to none. And I think it's a good area where we should be first, and we are first. We are first. It's extraordinary how long it took. It's extraordinary what energy, human energy, was required to get this concept accepted. This great, rich country of ours has a long, unfinished agenda, but it has always had that agenda in creative times, and this is a creative time in our country and throughout the world. All of the trained and educated men and women who are making our country over, who are building a better standard of living for our people -- this is a time when we wish to encourage that release of energy, human energy, which is the most extraordinary of all. Therefore, I am proud to come here across the United States as President to express our thanks to you, to express my pride in what is being begun here today, which puts the United States, as I said, once more in the lead in a whole new area which can mean so much to people around the world. ... Man is still the master of his own fate, and I believe that the power of science and the responsibility of science have offered mankind a new opportunity not only for intellectual growth, but for moral discipline; not only for the acquisition of knowledge, but for the strengthening of our nerve and our will. We are bound to grope for a time as we grapple with problems without precedent in human history. But wisdom is the child of experience. In the years since man unlocked the power stored within the atom, the world has made progress, halting but effective, towards bringing that power under human control. The challenge, in short, may be our salvation. As we begin to master the destructive potentialities of modern science we move toward a new era in which science can fulfill its creative promise. I recognize with each door that we unlock we see perhaps 10 doors that we never dreamed existed and, therefore, we have to keep working forward. When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truths, which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment. The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state. The great artist is thus a solitary figure. He has, as Frost said, a lover's quarrel with the world. In pursuing his perceptions of reality, he must often sail against the currents of his time. This is not a popular role. If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our nation falls short of its highest potential. I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. The highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may. In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation. And the nation which disdains the mission of art invites the fate of having 'nothing to look backward to with pride, and nothing to look forward to with hope.' Holy, holy, holy! Lord, God of hosts, heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he, who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant them rest for all eternity. and let perpetual light shine on them, as with Your saints in eternity, for You are merciful.