The ceiling, dome and walls of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento are outlined in light in the show Luminiscence Oct. 10.

 

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Moving, changing colors of light filled downtown Sacramento’s Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Oct. 10, in a daring show called Luminiscence.

“It was amazing,” said Ed Dietz, a Folsom resident who saw the show. “Moving.”

Choreographed music, light and narration came together to create the experience. The show was scheduled to continue various nights through Nov. 14, but Executive Producer Clayton Ferguson said the show will be extended through Dec. 31. Luminiscence is playing in Philadelphia and at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.   

“It was very heartwarming,” said Roseville resident Larry Nisetich.

Windows, columns and other elements in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento are outlined in light in the show Luminiscence Oct. 10.  

Oct. 10 was the second day of Luminiscence in Sacramento. The 7 p.m. show featured shades of blue and colors of the sun on the walls and ceiling of the church.

“Here a sanctuary rises,” the narrator said, referring to the cathedral’s beginning. The first stone was set in 1887, the narrator later added. That voice – throughout the show – shared the story of the church.

Light rose, spread out and mixed inside the building. Images of clouds appeared and moved across the walls.

Light kept time with the orchestra and choir. Lines of light adorned columns of the church. Blocks of light formed and faded.

The cathedral “stands as a monument of light,” the narrator continued.

Rectangles of light descended the walls. The sound of wind whispered to the audience.

Light formed ornate floral designs that spread across the walls and changed with the music. Drums sounded as an image of lightning appeared on the wall.

Colors of reds, blues, orange and yellow appeared and faded. Up and down, left and right the light moved. Fragments of light gathered.

The show Luminiscence paints the interior of Sacramento’s Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in blue Oct. 10.

‘We want to make it as immersive as possible,” Vice President of Operations Ben Woodward said. Ferguson suggested the show is almost transportive.

Light like shards of glass spread on the walls in stained-glass colors. Voices joined the changing light. An organ played. Thunder sounded and lightning cracked. Aisles changed from dark to light in rapid succession.

Light fell like snow on the walls. Images of trees appeared in the windows. Light like pointillism filled the walls and ceiling of the church.

“Here devotion endures,” said the narrator.

Leaves floated up leading to floral designs of earlier centuries and patterns of blue and gold stars.

And a chorus member sang Ave Maria.

“The chorus was really good,” said Barbara Mills of Woodland. “The orchestra was fantastic.”

But is was a little hard to hear the narrator, Mills said.

An archway in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento becomes blue in the show Luminiscence Oct. 10.

Woodward addressed the difficulty hearing the narrator. He said spaces like the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament were not designed for audio projection.

More than 2 million people have seen the show in Europe, Ferguson said. The team behind Luminiscence brought it to the U.S. a year ago, he said.

Amanda Johnson of West Sacramento liked “the mixture of live music and beautiful light effects,” she said.

“It was special,” she added. “It was a beautiful experience.”