Saturday, April 13, 2024

‘THE TRIUMPH SONG OF LIFE’ – A CELEBRATION OF THE EASTER STORY IN ESK




Church attendance is a central religious practice for many Christians.  However, whether a regular church goer or not, those who were present at the Somerset Civic Centre on March 28th for Patrick M. Liebergen’s ‘The Triumph Song of Life’ were left in no doubt of their faith and Christian beliefs.   This Easter Cantata, the foundations of which were laid by the Anglican Church’s Reverend Loretta Tyler-Moss and in company with the Brisbane Valley Churches Together and the Esk Community Choir, presented the Story of Easter in word and song to a truly captivated capacity audience.

Before a seemingly suspended wooden cross on stage, a poignant symbol of Jesus’s triumph over death, His resurrection and gift of everlasting life, the Story of Easter, was set in motion by Reverend Loretta and in turn, members of the multi denominational Clergy.  Throughout the story of Jesus’s palm waving arrival in Jerusalem; the affirmation of love with a recreation of Jesus’s washing of his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper; Jesus’s trial, crucifixion and His resurrection, audience members were held in silent adoration, not the least being a response to the exalted singing by the Esk Community Choir alongside the outstanding accompaniments by Alexis, Ruth, and Suzanne. 

With the choir’s songs interwoven with each of the phases of the Easter Story, the story became a magnificent Cantata with music by some of the world’s greatest composers… Gounod, Mendelssohn, Handel, and lyrics to Beethoven’s triumphant Symphony No. 9, Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee.  And along with the uplifting final sounds of Lift High the Cross by the entire gathering, this was a stellar climax to the ‘tragic, sad, and glorious’ Story of Easter, thoroughly embraced by all who came to hear.

To Reverend Loretta Tyler-Moss for her invitation to choir and to all who shouldered the task of bringing a Christian community together to celebrate this story of Jesus’s sacrifice for all humanity, Alexis and her Esk Community Choir give their heartfelt thanks.

By: Sue Walker











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