Lamb of God

This Easter, the Temple Hill Choir celebrates the gift of life, a tradition established in Oakland in 2011. Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God is a modern masterpiece that brings the story and meaning of Easter alive. The story unfolds through the eyes of Jesus’ followers, including Peter, John, Mary the Mother, and Martha. When writing the music, Mr. Gardner did not want someone on the stage physically portraying the part of Jesus. Instead, the cello soloist is used to represent Christ. The voice of the cello becomes the actions and words of Jesus. The style of the oratorio is somewhat similar to the ensemble style of the music of Les Mis and the choir and instruments are as much a part of telling the story as the soloists. When finished with their solos, those singers become “part of the crowd,” rejoining the choir as one of the disciples or onlooke…