Another excerpt from my Oratorio of 2000 'The Crown of Life'. The work is a setting of metaphysical sonnets by William Alabaster. A feature is that each sonnet is prefaced with a connecting bible verse sung by a choir of trebles accompanied by organ. Here they are mocking 'the King of the Jews' in a short but savage passage - the mood then taken up by the orchestra.
Please look out for my 'Crown of Life' album with other excerpts from the oratorio.

Recit into sonnet on the Reed (i) (movt 6 and part of 7)

One of the solo movements from my oratorio 'The Crown of Life' - this time for the mezzo-soprano. A slow, passionate and heartfelt setting of Alabaster's sonnet, with lots of orchestral colour. Unfortunately, one of the trombonists inadvertently changed the B flat minor chord at around 0-30" into a major chord - not a lot I can do about that now...!

Sonnet on the Crucifix - mezzo solo (movt.12)

The orchestral movement from my oratorio 'The Crown of Life'. Due to my plan to begin the whole work with a moment of maximum impact, this 'Prelude' is actually the third movement - of seventeen. It opens humbly with a canon between oboe and cor anglais, that has something of an English pastoral feel, followed by an answer from flute and alto flute; the full orchestra then reveals something of the passion in the whole score, before returning to a sense of peace (unfortunately, with the vibraphone being a bar late through the last few bars)

Prelude (Movt 3)

Verdi: Liber scriptus (Requiem)

2005 PREMIERE CONCERT AT THE VATICAN IN ROME, ITALY

00:00 Prologue; The Garden
05:30 Jesus Is Condemned; Carries The Cross
14:55 Jesus Falls; Meets His Afflicted Mother
22:13 Simon Of Cyrene; Veronica Wipes The Face Of Jesus
29:12 Procession Of Sorrows; The Women Of Jerusalem
36:31 Jesus Is Stripped; Agnus Dei
43:47 Nailed To The Cross; Jesus Dies On The Cross
52:49 Jesus Is Brought Down; Placed In The Tomb
57:55 Epilogue, The Resurrection

Conductor: Kevin Kaska
Lyrics by: Lisbeth Scott
Producer: John Debney

Inspired by his Oscar nominated score to the landmark feature film THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST," John Debney's enthralling music is performed and captured live as the thrilling concert event THE PASSION ORATORIO. Presented by Debney Productions and Costa Communications, in cooperation with Icon Productions, THE PASSION ORATORIO: A LIVE CONCERT EVENT took place at the world-renowned Mosque – Cathedral in Cordoba Spain. Over 6000 people attended and it was the first orchestral concert performed in the mosque in over 40 years. John Debney created the work to “exemplify the universal ideals of Love, Faith, Hope and Mercy”.

THE PASSION ORATORIO features the original concert work by the Oscar-nominated composer John Debney, the film’s lyricist/vocalist/soloist Lisbeth Scott, the film’s flute soloist Pedro Eustache, the Ziryah Choir, and the Cordoba Orchestra under the direction of Kevin Kaska. Other solo performers included tenor Juan Luque and soprano Maria Alonso.

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST ORATORIO - JOHN DEBNEY

In the second movement (Adagio) of Bach's Easter Oratorio, the flute plays a prominent role, emerging from the underlying pulsing strings that create a rhythmic and tense backdrop. The flute's solo lines are characterized by their wistful and expressive nature, sustaining briefly before shifting into new, fluttering directions. This movement showcases Bach's ability to highlight the flute, using its melodic voice to convey emotion and add a distinct texture amidst the supporting string accompaniment.

Bach Easter Oratorio BWV 249 No 2 Adagio with Baroque Flute Traverso

In the seventh section of Bach's Easter Oratorio, the second aria (alto), sung by Peter, is designed as a sleep piece, effectively evoking slumber through the prominent use of the flute alongside muted strings playing softly in their lower ranges. The musical phrases are grouped in pairs and rest upon a stable bass pitch. However, the underlying theme is one of sorrow, as the aria reflects on the cloth left behind from Jesus’ head, symbolically wiping away tears. This emotional depth is further emphasized by the character of Peter, who is historically linked to weeping in the passion narrative, reinforcing the aria's exploration of grief.

Bach Easter Oratorio BWV 249 No 7 Tenor Aria with Baroque Flute Traverso

In the Easter Oratorio, composed in 1725, the first aria features Maria, the mother of James, expressing sorrow through a symbolic exchange of myrrh for a laurel wreath, signifying victory and invoking the Christus victor theme of Jesus as a triumphant warrior. Marked "adagio," this aria prominently includes an expressive solo flute, underscoring the emotional depth with an emphasis on the word "Verlangen" (longing).

Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of Jesus), Peter, and John mourn Jesus's death in the opening recitative, setting the stage for the subsequent soprano aria that conveys profound feelings of loss. The solo flute plays an “obbligato” role, meaning it is essential to the musical fabric, actively interacting with the soprano voice. The aria employs a "trio sonata" texture, where the flute and soprano engage in a musical dialogue, often joining in thirds, which enhances the sense of sensuousness and hope.
Although set in a minor key (b minor), Bach infuses the piece with a feeling of hope and anticipation for the resurrection, as reflected in the light and ascending melodic lines. Notably, the oratorio underwent revisions in 1735 and again in the 1740s, during which the scoring was altered, replacing a solo violin with the solo flute in the soprano aria, further solidifying its significance in the work.

Bach Easter Oratorio BWV 249 Nr 5 Soprano Aria with Baroque Flute

I Know that my Redeemer Liveth - Handel

Recording of Christopher Hart, baritone and Dr. Henry Jones, piano

But Who May Abide?/Refiner's Fire

Sheffield-born soprano Lindsey James is a first-class graduate of King's College London with a PGCE in Secondary Music Education from the UCL Institute of Education. During her studies, she secured singing lessons from the Royal Academy of Music whilst maintaining a busy schedule of tours, radio broadcasts and album recordings with the Choir of King's College London. Lindsey then trained further on the competitive Genesis Sixteen and VOCES8 Scholarship schemes. She now divides her time between her part-time role as Music Teacher and Choral Lead at NLCS (the UK's oldest academic girls' school), the running of her own private teaching studio, and a range of freelance concerts and workshops.

ᴍᴜsɪᴄ ᴀʀᴄʜɪᴠɪsᴛ, ᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴅᴊ ᴀɴᴅ ᴠɪɴʏʟ ᴅɪɢɪᴛᴀʟɪᴢᴇʀ

- ʀᴀʀᴇ ᴇᴘ’s, sɪɴɢʟᴇs, ᴀʟʙᴜᴍs
- ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ sᴏᴜɴᴅᴛʀᴀᴄᴋs ᴀɴᴅ sᴄᴏʀᴇs
- ʀᴇᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴅɪɢɪᴛᴀʟ ғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛs
- ᴅᴊ ᴀᴛ ᴠᴀʀɪᴏᴜs ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ᴀs ᴅᴊ ᴘᴀᴄᴏ
- ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɪɴғᴏ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ

I love composing; always have done. I write Opera, Oratorio, Orchestral music, Chamber music, Church music and Song. An ongoing project is composing 'Songs without Words' for solo piano; it is a way of trying to articulate my experience of life, its joys and its pains, its hopes and its disappointments. Currently I have composed 223 songs without words.
For further information including please message me on SoundCloud - I will get back to you and we can use other media to discuss music (one of my favourite pastimes!)

Christopher Hart is an acclaimed musician and composer with a rich foundation in classical and contemporary music.

Christopher's love for composition took flight in 1990, and he has since established himself as a highly regarded film score composer, delivering five critically acclaimed scores for the 12 Westerns in 12 Months project. His score for "Counting Bullets" earned Festival Director’s Choice for Best Score at the Cowpokes International Film Festival in 2022, and the soundtrack for “Heart of the Gun" topped 40,000 streams on Amazon Music in a mere two months.

Encouraged by his mother, a church pianist, he began singing and playing instruments at a young age. He honed his skills through piano and trumpet lessons, choir performances, and college bands, eventually discovering a passion for opera during grad school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

In addition to his composing, Christopher is a versatile performer, singing with Opera Mississippi and arranging music for stage bands, concert bands, and choirs. With a vision to develop his hybrid film soundtrack style, blending orchestral and synth elements, he is dedicated to collaborating with film directors and bringing new life to each film. Christopher is driven to compose full-time and is eager to work with more directors, continually evolving his musical style. Born in Ottumwa, Iowa and now residing in McComb, Mississippi, Christopher Hart works as a director of music, arts, and media at a local church, inspired by his mother and encouraged by his wife, an artist in her own right.

New tracks tagged #Oratorio