Krzysztof Penderecki passed through the seven gates of Jerusalem for the first time in 1974. He was deeply moved by the feeling of following in the footsteps of Christ and his visit to the Holy Land left a lasting impression. In 1995, he received a commission to compose a work for the festivities celebrating the city’s three-thousandth anniversary. Penderecki decided to compose a largescale vocal work entitled Seven Gates of Jerusalem which was given its World Première in 1997 in Jerusalem as the composer’s seventh symphony. The number seven plays a significant role in this work from its seven-movement form to the seven massive fortissimo chords at the culmination of the oratorio.