Shop now for "The Living Last Words" at Lorenz

"Truly this Man was the Son of God!" With these powerful words, the centurion responded to the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. He had witnessed both the humanity and the divinity of Christ's suffering, and he was transformed by Christ's final utterances from the cross.

In this dramatic and powerful work, Ruth Elaine Schram imagines the responses of other witnesses at Calvary, creating short dramatic monologues for each: the contemptuous soldier; the crucified thief's sympathetic sibling; the scornful priest; the anguished shepherd who remembers Jesus' miraculous birth; the grieving mother of Christ; and the heartbroken disciple, searching for answers.

Her remarkable score conveys Christ's words deftly and passionately, and the music is both tuneful and easily prepared. Appropriate for choirs of all sizes, it offers a small orchestra accompaniment (strings, winds, light percussion, and french horn), as well as a more intimate instrumental reduction (winds, string synth). As with her other "Living" musicals, the piano part is not a reduction of the orchestration, but a beautiful accompaniment. Each instrumental part is optional and intended to supplement the piano accompaniment. The small orchestration is designed to be easily played by volunteer church musicians, utilizing instrumentation that will beautifully augment the piano but not overwhelm even a small choir.

Lasting 35 - 40 minutes, this selection offers additional flexibility with two options for the conclusion. For Lent, Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday, the service can end contemplatively with the congregation joining the choir on the beloved folk hymn "What Wondrous Love Is This." For Easter Sunday, an Easter hymn, Easter anthem of your choice, or Handel's "Hallelujah" Chorus provide a triumphant ending perfect for Easter worship.

Available for SATB or SAB choirs; part-dominant rehearsal aids available for both voicings.