As it began to dawn...

As it began to dawn... An Oratorio in 24 Movements for Holy Saturday or Eastertide By Delmar Dustin Small Dedicated with love and gratitude to Teague Beaux Morris 2012 by Delmar Dustin Small Performance Rights licensed by ASCAP

Texts PART ONE 1 Prelude Christians, to the Paschal victim offer your thankful praises! 2 Sequence & Convocation [Victimae paschali laudes; Come Ye Faithful, Stanza 1] Cantor: Christians, to the Paschal victim offer your thankful praises! A lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ, who only is sinless, reconcileth sinners to the Father. Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: the Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal. Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest, wayfaring: The tomb of Christ, who is living, the glory of Jesus resurrection; Yea, Christ my hope is arisen; to Galilee he will go before you. Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining; have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! Amen. Alleluia! Come, ye faithful, raise the strain! Come, ye faithful, raise the strain of triumphant gladness! God hath brought his Israel into joy from sadness: Loosed from Pharoah s bitter yoke Jacob s sons and daughters, Led them with unmoistened foot through the Red Sea waters. A lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ who only is sinless, reconcileth sinners to the Father. 3 Anthem [Christ is erstanden, Stanza 2] Disciples & Apostles: He who gave for us his life, Who for us endured the strife, Takes our sin and guilt away (so far has he removed our transgressions) That with angels we may say: Alleluia! Amen.

4 Dignus es [Dignus es (Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13); Ordinary of the Mass] The Angel: Glory and honour and kingly power are thine by right, O Lord our God. For thou hast created all things, And for thy pleasure they are and were created. Glory and honour and kingly power are thine by right, O Lord our God. And thine by right, O Lamb that wast slain, And hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests. Glory and honour and kingly power are thine by right, O Lord our God. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, And with all the company of heaven, We laud and magnify thy glorious Name; Evermore praising thee, and saying, Glory and honour and kingly power are thine by right, O Lord our God. And unto him that sitteth upon the throne, And unto Christ the Lamb, Be worship and praise, dominion and splendour, For ever and for evermore. Glory and honour and kingly power are thine by right, O Lord our God. 5 Agnus dei [Ordinary of the Mass] Hope & Faith: O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, Grant us thy peace.

Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: 6 Strange and Dreadful Strife [Christ lag in Todesbanden, Stanza 2] Life & Death: It was a strange and dreadful strife when life and death contended; The victory remained with life, the reign of death was ended; Stripped of power no more he reigns, an empty grave alone remains; His sting is lost forevermore! Alleluia! 7 O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? [1 Corinthians 15:55-58] Life: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, Always abounding in the work of the Lord, Forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal. 8 Royal Feast [Come ye Faithful, Stanza 3] Now the queen of seasons, bright with the day of splendor, With the royal feast of feasts, comes its joy to render; Comes to glad Jerusalem, who with true affection Welcomes with unwearied strains Jesus resurrection. Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest, wayfaring: The tomb of Christ, who is living, the glory of Jesus resurrection; 9 Who Shall Roll Away the Stone? [Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1; Mark 16:3b] Death: Mary & the Other Mary: In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary unto the sepulchre, Bringing the spices which they had prepared Who shall roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

10 Behold, There Was a Great Earthquake [Matthew 28:2-3] And, behold, there was a great earthquake: For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, He rolled away the stone from the door and sat down upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. Bright angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting. 11 Missive [John 20:13a; Matthew 28:5b-6a; Luke 24:5b] The Angel: Mary & the Other Mary: The Angel: Woman, why weepest thou? Because they have taken away my Lord, And I know not where they have laid him. Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Yea, Christ my hope is arisen; 12 Christ My Hope Is Arisen [Victimae paschali laudes] Mary & the Other Mary: Yea, Christ my hope is arisen. 13 Tis the Spring of Souls Today The Beaman Fugue [Come ye Faithful, Stanza 2] Tis the spring of souls today: Christ hath burst his prison, And from three days sleep in death as a sun hath risen; All the winter of our sins, long and dark, is flying From his light, to whom we give laud and praise undying.

PART TWO to Galilee he will go before you. 14 Come See the Place [Matthew 28:6b-8; Luke 24:15-16, 28-29a] The Angel: Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; Behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him. Hope: And Mary Magdalene and the other Mary departed quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy; And did run to bring his disciples word. And it came to pass, that, while the disciples communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, 15 Abide With Us [Luke 24:29b] Disciples & Apostles: Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.

16 This Do in Remembrance of Me [Luke 24:29c-31a; Luke 22:19b-20] Faith: Disciples: Faith: Disciples: And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. This we do in remembrance of thee. Likewise also took he the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. This do in remembrance of me. This we do in remembrance of thee. Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining; 17 Love One Another [Matthew 28:18b-19, 20a; John 13:34b] Apostles: one to another. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: Love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also have love. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, that ye have love All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Apostles: Love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

18 Let Us Feast This Holy Day [Christ lag in Todesbanden, Stanzas 4 & 1] Hope: Faith: Hope: Faith: Hope: Faith & Hope: Life: Death: Disciples & Apostles: Then let us feast this holy day on the true bread of heaven; The word of grace hath purged away the old and wicked leaven; Christ alone our souls will feed, he is our meat and drink indeed; Faith lives upon no other! Alleluia! Christ Jesus lay in death s strong bands for our offenses given; But now at God s right hand he stands and brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be, and sing to God right thankfully Loud songs of alleluia! Alleluia! 19 We Are the Lord s [Romans 14:7-9] Death: For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; And whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord s. For to this end Christ both died, and was buried, and arose, That he might be Lord of both the living and the dead. Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord s. 20 Processional Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! 21 Lo, I Am With You Alway [Matthew 28:20b] Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

22 Neither Might the Gates of Death [Come ye Faithful, Stanza 4] Neither might the gates of death, nor the tomb s dark portal, Nor the watchers, nor the seal hold thee as a mortal: But today amidst thine own thou didst stand bestowing That thy peace which evermore passeth human knowing. 23 Benediction [Philippians 4:7-9] Cantor: And the peace of God, which passeth human understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, Christ our Lord. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be with you, remain with you, from this time forth, for evermore. Finally, brethren: whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard and seen in Christ, these things do: And the God of peace shall be with you. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be with you, remain with you, from this time forth, for evermore. Amen. Alleluia! 24 Hope & Faith: Marys: Life & Death: The Angel: