Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio is a live album by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis, released in 1991. It is McCartney's first major foray into classical music. Composed in collaboration with Carl Davis to commemorate the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's 150th anniversary, the project received media attention upon its unveiling in June 1991.
Consisting of eight movements, the story of the oratorio loosely
follows McCartney's own lifeline, with the main character, Shanty, who
is born in 1942 in Liverpool,
raised to believe that "being born where you are born carries with it
certain responsibilities". After his school days where he often "sagged
off" (Liverpool slang
for skipping class), Shanty begins working and meets his future bride,
Mary Dee. Following the death of his father, Shanty and Mary Dee are
married and are forced to deal with the rigours of balancing a happy
marriage and their careers. Amid a quarrel, Mary Dee reveals that she is
pregnant and after surviving a nearly fatal accident, gives birth to
their son. Thus, the cycle of life in Liverpool carries on.