CONNESSIONI (verso l’Alto)

Description

by Carlo Pirola

in memory of CARLO ACUTIS (1991/2006)

“The secret of happiness is to love God”

Blessed Carlo Acutis will certainly be canonized by Pope Francis, as a reference example for young people from all over the world who will arrive in Rome for the next Jubilee 2025.

Carlo was born in London on 3 May 1991. He lived in Milan, but spent long periods in Assisi, where he breathed the spirituality of Saint Francis. Struck by a fulminant form of leukemia, he saw it as a test to offer for the Pope and for the Church. He left this world on 12 October 2006. His mortal remains have rested since 6 April 2019 in Assisi, in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore – Sanctuary of the Spogliazione.  On 10 October 2020 he was beatified in this papal basilica of San Francesco, where Carlo’s body rests, visible in a sepulchral urn.

 

Also in this Sanctuary, as in other churches in Assisi, he participated in the Eucharistic celebration, which was a daily event for him. The Sanctuary is a destination for many pilgrims, but above all for many young people who come to meditate on the gesture of Francis’ stripping and to pray at Carlo’s tomb.

Among Carlo’s great passions there was computer science, which he used to spread and bear witness to the faith through the creation of websites; for this reason, since he was beatified, he has been hypothesized by the media as a possible future patron of the Internet.

Pope Francis was enchanted by this young man who “knew how to use new communication techniques to transmit the Gospel, values ​​and beauty”.

Carlo Acutis is the first ‘saint’ of millennials, those who grew up on bread and the internet. Furthermore, Carlo played the saxophone, self-taught, demonstrating passion and interest in music and while still very young he taught catechism to children.

October 12th marks the anniversary of Carlo’s death, aged just 15, at the Monza hospital, and he is recognized by the Church, despite his short existence, as a model of Christian life and faith.

“We are all born as originals, but many of us die as photocopies.” This is one of the famous phrases coined by the blessed, which teaches and encourages us to live as originals, each loved by God in their own uniqueness.

 

The original music of these “CONNECTIONS towards the Alto” was designed for a youth band, does not present performance difficulties and highlights the skills of the two soloists: the Alto Sax (instrument played self-taught by Carlo) which is in dialogue with the Glockenspiel (or Vibraphone) which represents the divine immensity.

They are precisely CONNECTIONS between Earth and Sky, where short alternating phrases involve the entry of all the instrumental sections, in an emotional and participatory chorality. This overall involvement is inspired by these two significant phrases of Carlo: “Less me and more GOD” and “The secret of happiness is loving God”. The piece has a quiet and evocative development, but in the musical dialogues we hear the invitation to sharing and commitment; I will borrow some words from my Editor who listened to the song for the first time on the PC: “…the music gives a sense of peace, serenity and grandeur, I dare say of holiness”.

I thank the Publisher for this extraordinary publication, dedicated to Blessed Carlo Acutis, whose trust is collected in this other beautiful phrase: “God thinks of all of us”… certainly Music will also think about motivating Youth Bands through concert performances, beautiful and purposeful.

These CONNECTIONS are intended to be a musical impulse in search of Help upwards: Carlo Acutis with his example has certainly made his life a hymn of praise to the Lord. The world needs saints.

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