WelCom February/March 2025
While there are many great oratorios, particularly the Messiah and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the wonderful events that happened to Elizabeth have not been musically celebrated in the same way. Yet such a momentous event as the meeting of Elizabeth and Mary and the birth of John the Baptist deserves its own oratorio, according to Adriann Smith. So, Adriann, a writer and longtime member of St Teresa’s choir in Karori, and composer Colin Gibson, who was the originator of many of our favourite hymns, including ‘Carol Our Christmas’, created the oratorio ‘Elizabeth or the Birth of John the Baptist’.
This work, which centres on the experiences of two of the most important women in the Bible, Elizabeth and Mary – the mothers of John and Jesus – is waiting to be performed. ‘It is a work that can be presented by parish groups, youth groups or secondary schools as the music is well within the range of church or school choirs,’ Adriann says. ‘As well as the solos, Mary, Elizabeth and Zachariah, a chorus of young girls and another of older women, have an important part in the action, and four-part hymns for all voices for the men in the community are not left out.
‘I would like to see the work used as widely as possible among schools, choirs, performance groups,’ says Adriann. ‘I wrote the important story of these two women. I’ve given it a slightly humorous twist with the dramatically required crisis, but it all ends well on a high note – emotional not musical – of praise.’
An oratorio is a narrative musical work based on a religious theme and presented without staging or costumes. It includes soloists and chorus. Generally the pieces sung by the soloists are termed arias. There can also be sections spoken or chanted to music called recitative (reciting). The word oratorio comes from the Latin oratorium, oratory.
‘Oratorio is part of the Church’s musical tradition and many people enjoy seeing and hearing oratorio performed,’ says Adrian. ‘They are usually done in churches but don’t have to be.’
A copy of the libretto and score are available from Adriann at: smithadris@gmail.com