The Christ - oratorio text


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Here is the text for Paul Ayres's oratorio The Christ:


Libretto selected by Paul Joachim
from The Holy Bible, New International Version
© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society and used by permission

Narrator

There before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Daniel 7: 13,14

Bass Solo

He who created the heavens and stretched them out,
He who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
He who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it.
This is what God the Lord says:

Chorus

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.

Narrator and solos

I am the Lord; that is my name!
See, new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.

Isaiah 42: 1

Chorus

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding a donkey.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9: 9, 10

Narrator

When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Thinking he was in their company, they travelled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

Chorus

After three days they found him
in the temple courts,
sitting among the teachers,
listening to them,
asking them questions.
Everyone who heard him was amazed
at his understanding and his answers.

Soprano Solo

Son, why have you treated us like this?
Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

Tenor Solo

Why were you searching for me?
Did you not know I had to be in my Father's house?

Narrator

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.

Luke 2: 42 - 52

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. But John tried to deter him.

Bass Solo

I need to be baptised by you,
do you come to me?

Tenor Solo

Let it be so now;
it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.

Chorus

At that moment heaven was opened,
and the Spirit of God descended like a dove
and lighted on him.

Narrator

And a voice from heaven said,

Narrator, chorus and solos

This is my Son, whom I love;
with him I am well pleased.

Matthew 3: 13 - 17

Narrator

He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

Tenor Solo

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Do not resist an evil person.
If someone strikes you on the right cheek,
turn to him the other also.
If someone forces you to go one mile,
go with him two miles.
Give to the one who asks you,
do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Children's Chorus

You are the light of the world.
Let your light shine,
that men may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5: 1 - 16, 38 - 48

Tenor Solo

When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6: 6 - 15

Chorus
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven,
thy name be hallowed;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us our bread for the morrow.
Forgive us the wrong we have done,
as we have forgiven those who have wronged us.
And do not bring us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

While the tenor solo sings from the N.I.V. translation, the choir sopranos and altos sing the "modern version", ie the I.C.E.T. text, © English Language Liturgical Consultation, and the choir tenors and basses sing the translation from the New English Bible, © The Syndics of Cambridge University Press (both translations used by permission). The doxology ("For thine is the kingdom" or "For the kingdom" etc.) is not a Scriptural text, but appears in a first-century Canonical book, The Didache.

Children's Chorus

Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;
everyone who seeks finds;
and to everyone who knocks,
the door will be opened.

Matthew 7: 7, 8

Tenor Solo

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Chorus

The rain came down,
the streams rose,
and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall,
because it had its foundation on the rock.

Tenor Solo

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Chorus

The rain came down,
the streams rose,
and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell with a great crash.

Narrator

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7: 24 - 29

Narrator

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked:

Chorus

Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?

Tenor Solo

It is not the healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick.
I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.

Mark 2: 14 - 17

Chorus

A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.

Soprano Solo

If I just touch his clothes,
I will be healed.

Chorus

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Tenor Solo

Who touched my clothes?

Chorus

Then the woman,
knowing what had happened to her,
came and fell at his feet
and, trembling with fear,
told him the whole truth.

Tenor Solo

Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.

Mark 5: 24 - 34

Bass Solo

Teacher, I brought you my son,
who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.
He foams at the mouth,
gnashes his teeth
and becomes rigid.

I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.

Tenor Solo

O unbelieving generation. Bring the boy to me.

Narrator

When the spirit saw Jesus,
it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.
He fell to the ground and rolled around,
foaming at the mouth.

Tenor Solo

How long has he been like this?

Bass Solo

From childhood,
If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.

Tenor Solo

'If you can?'
Everything is possible for him who believes.

Bass Solo

I do believe;
help me overcome my unbelief!

Tenor Solo

You deaf and mute spirit.
I command you,
come out of him
and never enter him again.

Narrator

The spirit shrieked,
convulsed him violently and came out.

The boy looked so much like a corpse
that many said, He's dead.
But Jesus took him by the hand
and lifted him to his feet,
and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors,
his disciples asked him privately,

Chorus
Why couldn't we drive it out?

Tenor Solo

This kind can come out only by prayer.

Mark 9: 17 - 29

Bass Solo

Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Tenor Solo

Why do you call me good?
No one is good - except God alone.

You know the Commandments:
Do not murder,
do not commit adultery,
do not steal,
do not give false testimony,
do not defraud,
honour your father and mother.

Bass Solo

Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.

Narrator

Jesus looked at him and loved him.

Tenor Solo

One thing you lack,
Go, sell everything you have,
give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.

Narrator

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Chorus

Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Who then can be saved?

Children's Chorus

With man this is impossible,
but not with God;
all things are possible with God.

Mark 10: 17 - 27

Chorus

In Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple.
He drove out those who were buying and selling there.
He overturned the tables of the money-changers
and the benches of those selling doves.
He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
And he said,

Tenor Solo

Is it not written:

Tenor Solo and chorus

My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations?

Tenor Solo

But you have made it a den of robbers.

Mark 11: 15 - 17

Bass Solo

Of all the Commandments, which is the most important?

Chorus and solos

The most important one is this:

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind
and with all your strength.

The second is this:
Love your neighbour as yourself.

There is no commandment greater than these.

Mark 12: 28 - 31

Tenor Solo

Who do people say I am?

Chorus

Some say John the Baptist;
others say Elijah;
and still others, one of the prophets.

Tenor Solo

But who do you say I am?

Bass Solo

You are the Christ.

Mark 8: 27 - 29

Tenor Solo

The Son of Man must suffer
and be rejected,
He must be killed,
and after three days rise again.

Get behind me, Satan!
You do not have in mind the things of God,
but the things of men.

If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself,
take up his cross
and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life
will lose it.
Whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel
will save it.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,
yet forfeit his soul?

I tell you the truth,
some who are standing here will not taste death
before they see the kingdom of God come with power.

Mark 8: 30 - 38, Mark 9:1

Narrator

So Jesus sent two of his disciples to make preparations to eat the Passover, telling them;
Go into the city,
and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Follow him.
Say, The Teacher asks:
Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?
Make preparations for us there.

That evening, Jesus and the Twelve were reclining at the table eating.

Tenor Solo

I tell you the truth,
One of you will betray me
- one who is eating with me.

Chorus

Surely not I?

Tenor Solo

It is one of the Twelve,
one who dips bread into the bowl with me.

Mark 14: 12 - 20

Soprano Solo

Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,

Tenor Solo

Take it; this is my body.

Bass Solo

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.

Tenor Solo

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.

Narrator

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Mark 14: 22 - 26

Chorus

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

the choir sings the "traditional version" of the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6, ie the translation by William Tyndale that appeared in the Book of Common Prayer 1549: the doxology appeared later, in the Scottish B.C.P. 1637, and in the English B.C.P. 1662.

Tenor Solo

Father, take this cup from me;
yet not my will,
but yours be done.

Chorus

A crowd came up,
Judas was leading them.
He approached Jesus to kiss him.

Tenor Solo

Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?

Chorus

When Jesus's followers saw what was going to happen,
they said,
Lord, should we strike with our swords?
And one of them struck the servant of the high priest,
cutting off his right ear.

Tenor Solo

No more of this!

Soprano Solo

And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

Tenor Solo

Am I leading a rebellion,
that you have come with swords and clubs?
Every day I was with you
in the temple courts,
and you did not lay a hand on me.
But this is your hour - when darkness reigns.

Chorus

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.

Luke 22

Narrator

At the place called the Skull, they crucified him along with two criminals - one on his right, the other on his left.

Tenor Solo

Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing.

Chorus

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him, and said:
He saved others; let him save himself.
The soldiers mocked him, and they offered him wine vinegar, and they said:
If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:
Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!

But the other criminal rebuked him:
Don't you fear God,
since you are under the same sentence?
We are punished justly,
for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.

Narrator, chorus and solos

Darkness came over the whole land,
for the sun stopped shining.
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

Tenor Solo

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Narrator

When he had said this,
he breathed his last.

Luke 23: 32 - 46

Narrator

Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus's body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where he was laid. They went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the Commandment.

Luke 23: 50 - 56

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might anoint Jesus's body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb.

Chorus and solos

Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?

But when they looked up,
they saw that the stone,
which was very large,
had been rolled away.

As they entered the tomb,
they saw a young man
dressed in a white robe
sitting on the right side,
and they were alarmed.

Soprano and Bass Solos

Don't be alarmed,
You are looking for Jesus who was crucified.

He has risen!
He is not here.
See the place where they laid him.

But go, tell his disciples and Peter,
He is going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him,
just as he told you.

Mark 15: 46, 47;
Mark 16: 1 - 8

Narrator

Jesus appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Tenor Solo

Wait for the gift my Father promised.
For John baptised with water,
but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Chorus

After he said this,
he was taken up before their very eyes,
and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Acts 1: 3 - 9

Suddenly a sound
like the blowing of a violent wind
came from heaven and filled the whole house.

Tongues of fire
came to rest on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and they began to speak in other tongues.

Parthians, Medesians and Elamites,
Mesopotamians, Judeans and Cappadocians,
Asians, Phrygians and Pamphylians,
Egyptians and Libyans;
Romans, Cretans and Arabs -

We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!

Acts 2: 1 - 11

Chorus

He will judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
He will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon,
through all generations.
He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.

He will rule from sea to sea
and to the ends of the earth.
The desert tribes will bow before him
and his enemies will lick the dust.
The kings of distant shores
will bring tribute to him.
All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.

For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak
and save the needy from death.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.

May gold be given to him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway;
let its fruit flourish.
May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.

All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvellous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name for ever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72


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