The Atonement, A Sacred Cantata, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
for soli, chorus, and orchestra
Op. 53, Revised edition, 1904
Text by Alice Parsons
Edited by Bryan Anthony Ijames
The Atonement premiered at the Hereford Cathedral on September 9th, 1903, with the composer conducting. Coleridge-Taylor requested “something absolutely different from anything that had ever been written before” from Alice Parsons. In an effort to inject a sense of drama, perfect for Coledrige-Taylor’s compositional voice, Parsons crafted a unique libretto that features a combination of paraphrased biblical quotes from the Gospels of Mathew, Luke, and John along with her creative extra-liturgical narrative commentary.
Geoffrey Self, a Coleridge-Taylor biographer, describes the framework of the text as “Christ’s seizure by the mob, his desertion by his disciples, his treatment at the hands of Pilate, and his crucifixion.” The Atonement is a five-movement oratorio scored for a romantic orchestra, a large symphonic chorus, and six soloists portraying the dramatic characters of Christ (baritone), Pontius Pilate (tenor), Pilate's wife (soprano), Mary the Mother of Christ (soprano), Mary, the wife of Cleophas (mezzo-soprano) and Mary Magdalene (contralto).
Cast:
Christ: Branden Hood, bass
Pilate: Nicholas Music, tenor
Pilate’s Wife: Juliet Schlefer, soprano
Mary, the Mother of Christ: Goitsemang Lehobye, soprano
Mary the Wife of Cleophas: Amber Merritt, mezzo-soprano
Mary Magdalene: Antona Yost, contralto
Instrumentation:
Full Orchestra: 2+pic.2.2.2 - 4.2.3.1 - Timp+2 - Org. - Hp. - Str.
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