MyOpus Legacy

Executive Summary

The Manuscrips of MyOpus

Objective

MyOpus legacy promotes, performs and publishes the original music compositions of Francis Koerber and with this effort establishes and maintains a legal estate that oversees its continued success. It is also a platform for the display of original art works that are made available for sale to the public.

MyOpus is soliciting patrons, musicians, and funding to begin its musical performances. Please contact Francis via email.

Promotion & Performance

The primary avenue of promotion will happen through a yearly Concert Series. Tangentially, Musical Devotions will be offered throughout the season. Local advertising, handbills and signage will be employed along with the added benefit of social media.

Yearly Schedule

Seasonal concerts will be programmed and performed in the Upper Bucks/Allentown/Philadelphia corridor. In addition, various MUSICAL Devotions will be offered throughout the season.

Publications

Musical Scores and Audio Recordings will be made available for sale to the public during and proceeding the venues.

Original Fine Art & Music

Orginal creations of fine art, sculptures, metal-stonework and textiles fabricated by the composer specific to the musical theme of each concert will be on display and sold during a silent auction. The bids will close after intermission, and the artwork will be awarded at the end of the concert.

Lobby Sign for the premiere performance of Teton Wilderness Suite
Wood carving of the Teton Mountains to be auctioned off at the premiere performance of Teton Wilderness Suite

Sacred Music Concerts & Musical Devotions:
The Difference Between Contemplation & Meditation

Contemplation and Meditation are in its own realm, two forms of mental prayer. St. Alphonsus Liguori describes mental prayer as engaging the eyes of the mind. “Eternal truths are all spiritual things that are not seen with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the mind; that is, by reflection and consideration”. Just as the eyes look upon material things and can decipher their shape, color, and size, so must we use the eyes of our mind and the heart to look upon God’s eternal truth to understand its meaning, significance, and impact upon our lives.

Contemplation in Sacred Music

In Contemplation, God is the primary mover; we do as God steps in and does the work of our soul–filling us with his consolation, light, and truth and in particular to this endeavor, Sacred Music Concerts.

Contemplation is a conversation that God initiates. The word contemplation is derived from the Latin contemplatio, or “the act of looking at.” Interestingly, the Latin root of contemplation is templum which means “sacred”.

In contemplating the mysteries of God with the eyes of the heart, we observe the subtle movement of God that allows us to see earth in light of heaven; vocation in the light of destiny; and otherwise ordinary moments in light of truth.

Meditation in Musical Devotions

In Meditation, while God is always present, we initiate our pursuit of God, in the study of scripture, doctrine, and so on and in particular to this endeavor, Musical Devotions.

Meditation is a conversation in which our effort prevails–“a form of mental prayer in which the mind, in God’s presence, ponders God and divine things.” we seek to get to know God in scripture and the lives of the Saints; we ask relevant questions about God with our minds, and we actively pursue God with the faculty of our imagination, and through music, song and spoken prayer.

In the past fifty years or so, the Catholic populace has lost its sense of importance with the many devotions that filled the lives and the heart of the Church in times past. These devotions are secondary to the sacraments, but are critical to keeping the faith burning in the mind and hearts of all. Properly used, popular devotional practices never replace liturgical life, but complement it and extend it into daily life. The practice of devotions, including the sacrifices required to practice them, deepen a person’s life in the Faith.

Lobby sign for the premiere performance of Mysterium Rosarium
Hand crafted lapis lazuli rosary to be auctioned off at the performance of Mysterium Rosarium

These time tested prayers are vital to the church’s highest practices of religion through which we worship God or venerate Mary and the Saints. For more than 2000 years, the faithful have used these various practices to infuse their every day lives with prayer; in fact, they help us to follow Saint Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing.

All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice: That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

MyOpus intends to rekindle this practice through Musical Devotions offered throughout and appropriately aligned with the liturgical seasons of the Roman Catholic Calendar. Examples include novenas, processions, adoration of the Blessed sacrament, the rosary, the stations of the cross, the veneration of relics, and chaplets, such as the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Often, devotions express a particular conviction about the object of the devotion: adoration of the Blessed Sacrament expresses the conviction about the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament; praying the Rosary expresses the belief and Mary’s role in the dispensation of grace; devotion to saints and angels express confidence in their roles and spiritual companions, guides, and mediators.

In our devotions we pray with a meditative heart. We pray to embrace suffering and understand how it applies to our life. We pray to make reparation to the sorrowful hearts of Jesus and Mary. This is the ultimate aim of devotions.

Hence, why we have numerous devotions that focus on the suffering of Christ. Christ did not come to undo suffering, but to give it meaning–to help us understand suffering, and to give it redemptive value.

St. Alphonsus Liguori recount the words of Mary to Saint Bridget of Sweden: “I look around upon all who are in the world, if per chance there may be any to pity me, and meditate upon my sorrows.” Jesus does not remove suffering from our daily lives, but gives it redemptive power.