Abstract
This two-hour dramatic work – combining oratorio, musical theatre, and the potential for film integration – investigates how large-scale narrative can be constructed through the integration of composed music, spoken word, visual media, and congregational/audience participation. The work’s formal innovation lies in its refusal of a single genre designation: it operates simultaneously as concert work, church service, theatre piece, and community event. It generates new knowledge about the compositional challenges of writing music that must function across these multiple simultaneous contexts. David Suchet’s pre-recorded narration adds a further dimension – the integration of professional dramatic performance within a sacred/concert hybrid framework. Part of the portfolio for the degree of Doctor in Church Music (DMus, Central School of Religion, non-accredited), conferred 2026.