A Conductor's Guide to Preparing and Performing Stephen Paulus and Michael Dennis Browne's Oratorio "To Be Certain of the Dawn" (2005)

The Pulitzer Prize-nominated To Be Certain of the Dawn is an hour-long, polystylistic oratorio written in 2005 by composer Stephen Paulus (1949–2014) with an interfaith libretto by Michael Dennis Browne (b. 1940). The work was commissioned by the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and was intended to be given as a gift to the Temple Israel - Minneapolis synagogue. The oratorio was written to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps in 1945 as well as the 40th anniversary of the 1965 Vatican document Nostra Aetate. In this study, I examine Paulus and Browne's prolific artistic partnership, situate To Be Certain of the Dawn within their respective catalogs, explore the genesis of the work, and analyze the oratorio's structure, harmony, and libretto. I then utilize this analysis to provide a thorough guide for teaching and preparing this concert-length oratorio. In addition to the analysis, I have created supplemental teaching aids and rehearsal suggestions for preparing this work. With each component of this document, I intend to provide context and resources that assist conductors and organizations who aspire to perform this modern major work.