The Sacred Veil is a full-scale composition for a cappella choir, piano and cello by Eric Whitacre, with lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri. He composed it in 2018, also including lyrics of Silvestri's wife Julie who died of cancer and whom the composition is dedicated.
Performances
The work has been premiered in February 2019 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall conducted by Whitacre. Other performances in the US include the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, performing the piece in October, 2023.
The European and British premiere took place in July 2019 in London.
The first performances in Australia and New Zealand were in September 2022 at the Sydney Opera House, after a two-year postponement due to the COVID pandemic, and at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland.
More European performances feature the Austrian premiere in January 2022 in Vienna and the Dutch premiere, which, after being postponed from March 2020, took finally place in February 2023 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam conducted by Whitacre. The Swiss premiere is planned to take place in September 2025, featuring Whitacre as conductor.
The Latin American premiere took place in May 2023 in Antigua Guatemala, with Silvestri being present as a special guest. The first performance in Spain took place in September 2023 at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.