Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio

The All-American Boys Chorus is proud to join The Eugene Concert Choir & Orchestra in their presentation of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio. Collaborating with renowned film composer Carl Davis, McCartney crafted a major classical work that is strikingly different in subject matter from the typical sacred oratorio, blending treasured classical tradition with commonly relatable experience.

The piece traces poignant moments from Paul McCartney’s early life in Liverpool—his birth in the city during wartime, his schooldays at the Liverpool Institute, his youthful aspirations and meeting his future wife, Linda. Through this deeply personal narrative, the oratorio explores the hopes, challenges, and joys of the modern world, captured by its guiding motto: Non nobis solum sed toti mundo nati — “Not for ourselves alone but for the whole world were we born.”

The New York Times noted that the piece was richly melodic and lavishly orchestrated, drawing influences from early 20th-century French music and English oratorio, with echoes of classical, late Romantic, and theatrical music styles. The Liverpool Oratorio is a significant and successful masterwork that showcases McCartney’s versatility as a composer and his ability to blend popular and classical music elements.

Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center
1 Eugene Center
Eugene, OR 97401