April 13, 2011

First Lutheran Church to perform Easter Cantata

By Tina Foreman
Farmer Staff Writer

For many, Easter is all about dying eggs, filling Easter baskets and Easter Egg Hunts. For others, it goes beyond the bright-colored eggs and seasonal candy. If you’re looking for some good entertainment and a reminder of why we celebrate Easter, the First Lutheran Church Choir’s Easter Cantata is a great opportunity for you.
The Easter Cantata titled, ‘Who do you say that I am,’ composed by Lloyd Anderson is a combination of music and monologue that hopes to help you answer this very question.
The question ‘Who do you say that I am?’ is not restricted to first-century citizens, though. It is a valid question for all who have encountered the story of Jesus down through the ages. And it demands a response from all of us today as we again review the biblical recording of Christ’s earthly life and impact upon the lives of those he touched. The options are to embrace or reject his claims as Messiah sent from God. The Bible is quite unclear about this.
“It has been several years since we did our last Easter Cantata, says Caroline Schwartz, Cantata director. “But when I saw this one, I decided we would do another Easter Cantata because Anderson did such a beautiful job with this Cantata, and I like that he added the monologue.”
It is Anderson’s prayer that this work will encourage choirs and congregations to reaffirm their belief in and devotion to Christ, or perhaps for the first time, to take a stand under the banner of the Christian faith. As you experience the story of grace and sacrificial love through this work, may your response to the claims of Christ echo the response of the Roman officer standing near the cross as Jesus died: ‘Truly, this was God’s son!’
The musical portion of the Cantata will be performed by the First Lutheran Church Choir accompanied by Jane Swenson, with the monologue being performed by Rob Favorite, Mathew Wrolson, Duane Sanford, Garrett Gudmunsen, Cari Liebel and Jena Jenks.
The Cantata will be performed on Sunday, April 17, at 7 p.m. at the Watford City First Lutheran Church and is open to the public.

WATFORD CITY WEATHER