The Covenant

55 minutes - 9 movement cantata for SATB (div) choir and 25 piece orchestra, written in 2000.

Performance options: Individual movements can be done as anthems. You could perform it with some individual instruments, organ, and piano. Given the right incentive (and enough time), I could generate an orchestra sound track, I imagine.

I apologize that in some of the recordings the choir is hard to hear. That's what happens with brass and choir.

Movements:
About the recordings | (Won't play? Click here for Apple's QuickTime)

Choral Prelude: "Covenant"
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1. Chorus: "In the Beginning"
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2. Tenor Solo: "Never Again"
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3. Chorus: "Come to Me"
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4. Baritone Solo: "Why Do You Forsake Me?"
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5. Chorus: "Hosanna"
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6. Soprano Solo: "They Crucified My Lord"
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7. Chorus: "Christ is Alive!"
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Choral Postlude: "Song of Hope"
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Composer Notes:

"The Covenant" is my fourth and (so far) my last cantata. I love all of my cantatas, but there are always little things that bother me. Yet, of this cantata I can say "I find no flaws."

From the program notes:

In the fall of 1999, amidst the hype and anxiety of “Y2K” I came upon the idea of The Covenant . At first I subtitled it: “A Cantata of Hope for a New Millennium”, knowing all along that January 1, 2000 would be a non-event. God is a god of hope and love, not wrath and fear.

“The Covenant” is based on the various promises that God has made with humanity during history. As in all of my cantatas, it is biblically based while allowing for new visions and inspiration from God. The prelude calls us to be active listeners to these covenants, to actually respond by entering into covenant with God personally. The choral movements are based on the different covenants of God: creation; the calling of Abraham and Israel ; the giving of Jesus; salvation through the Christ's resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit. The solo movements are “mortar”, commentary to tie the cantata together. The tenor solo, “Never Again” is commentary and yet also presents the covenant with Noah and the gift of the rainbow. “Song of Hope” is post-biblical, looking toward the future, extending the Bible's message that God's love and promises continue if we so chose to accept them; thus the name of “Postlude”, much like a novel's “Epilogue”.

About “Hosanna” - This movement is a story. After the crowd's exuberant proclamation, the horns herald Jesus' entrance to Jerusalem . With prescience of the coming crucifixion, Jesus laments over his people. Hushed during his speech, they stir as he moves slowly through the crowd (the “Ah” section). Notice the horn's “triumphal entry” music once again. Majestically, they sing to their all-too-temporary king. The audience is asked to join at this point as part of the throng. This near idyllic scene is abruptly interrupted by uncontainably joyful elements of the crowd.