“JOYFUL: Piano Duets of Gerald Causse & Nicolas Giusti,” Shadow Mountain Records, $6.99
Friends Nicolas Giusti, a composer and opera conductor, and Bishop Gerald Causse, the presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, share six duets of familiar church songs in their album “Joyful.”
Giusti approached Bishop Causse about playing these arrangements with him.
“Being a simple amateur, I could never have imagined being invited to play a musician with such remarkable talent,” Bishop Causse wrote in the album information.
The songs include “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “You Can Make the Pathway Bright,” “God Be With You Til We Meet Again,” “Because I Have Been Given Much,” “Abide with Me, ‘Tis Eventide” and “Where Can I Turn for Peace?”
Giusti’s arrangements for each song have a lightness that keeps the tone and tempo of the song while celebrating the music.
“I want to leave a message to all the people who want to support this project: Spiritual music is the most sacred and high expression of human happiness,” wrote Giusti in the album information. He is the musical director at Utah Vocal Arts Academy and has conducted operas at Utah Festival Opera.
Bishop Causse wrote: “It is a blessing to share with you, through inspiring music, our testimony of the Savior and the joy we have in living the gospel.”
“Joyful” has been on Billboard’s Classical Album chart for 18 weeks, including a week in the No. 1 spot. “Joyful” is currently No. 10 on the list.
The pair, along with BYU faculty and students and other musicians, will be performing on Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m., at BYU’s Madsen Recital Hall in the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center. See arts.byu.edu/event/nicolas-giusti-gerald-causse-friends/ for more information.