The Coming of Christ
.jpg)
The Coming of Christ is a modern English mystery play that premiered in Canterbury Cathedral in 1928 . The text is by John Masefield , the music by Gustav Holst .
Emergence
George Bell , Dean of Canterbury since 1925, had the plan to establish a series of festivals in the cathedral . He invited John Masefield and Gustav Holst to write a sacred play for the opening. Masefield wrote the dramatic poem The Coming of Christ , and Holst began composing the music in October 1927. Archbishop Randall Thomas Davidson gave his approval as long as the figure of the anima (soul) of Christ was not represented in person on the stage. While Holst was working on the music, organist and choirmaster C. Charlton Palmer had several concerns that had to be allayed.
The Coming of Christ was performed in Canterbury Cathedral on Pentecost 1928. With one exception, all performers of the play were vocal students from Oxford. During the preparations, Holst discreetly arranged payment for train tickets for students who could not afford them themselves.
content
The theme of the play is the Incarnation of Christ , the Christmas event . The biblical story is treated freely and supplemented by a prelude in heaven. In this prelude four spirits - Power, Sword, Mercy, Light - discuss with the soul of Christ whether it is good and promising to be born human for the redemption of human beings; only Mercy answered this question unreservedly. In the birth scene Maria is a silent marginal figure, Joseph is missing. Instead of the three kings , a capitalist, a tyrant and a mystical enthusiast appear. The shepherds are disillusioned veterans of World War I , which disenchanted their war memories nothing Glorious. This aspect of the plot in particular sparked controversy.
effect
The performances from May 26 to 29, 1928 attracted protests from fundamentalists, but were nevertheless successful with a total of 6,000 visitors.
In the following year 1929 there were difficulties with a planned new performance of The Coming of Christ . They wanted to integrate the Three Kings into the play, but among other things, the lack of opportunities to talk to Holst, who was traveling in Italy and the USA, ultimately led to the play being removed from the festival program.
literature
- Michael Short: Gustav Holst - The Man and his Music , Circaidy Gregory Press (first published by Oxford University Press), 1990, new edition 2014
Web links
- The Coming of Christ (A Clerk of Oxford)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michael Short: Gustav Holst - The Man and his Music , Circaidy Gregory Press (first published by Oxford University Press), 1990, new edition 2014, pp. 166–167
- ↑ Michael Short: Gustav Holst - The Man and his Music , Circaidy Gregory Press (first published by Oxford University Press), 1990, new edition 2014, pp. 172–174
- ↑ Michael Short: Gustav Holst - The Man and his Music , Circaidy Gregory Press (first published by Oxford University Press), 1990, new edition 2014, p. 180