Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio is a large scale orchestral oratorio composed by Elliot Goldenthal, commissioned by the Pacific Symphony in 1993 for the 20th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

The album

It was performed publicly and recorded in mid 1995 and released commercially in 1996. Yo-Yo Ma performed Solo Cello on "Part I"; other performers include: The Pacific Chorale & Children's Chorus, the Ngan-Khoi Vietnamese Children's Choir, Ann Panagulias and James Maddalena; it was conducted by Carl St. Clair. It is not considered an archetypal oratorio as it doesn't tell a story so much as it brings together many different poems and words of praise, the latter adding a sort of religious aspect in the form of requiem.

Track listing

Crew and performers