[CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA MUSIC PLAYING]

Beginning with the triumphant entrance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the acclaimed “Lamb of God” musical is once again being performed around the globe this Easter season.

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Composed by Rob Gardner in under five months, “The Lamb of God” is the story of the Savior’s last week of His ministry, including the Garden of Gethsemane, His Crucifixion and Resurrection.

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There are a couple of big crescendos in the music and, you know,

back to the Garden of Gethsemane.

And the last word the choir sings is “Abba”—Father.

It’s overwhelming. It’s so loud, and then all of a sudden everything stops to nothing.

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It's just quiet. And guess who has to talk next?

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep.

And that is one of my very all time favorite places. Since its release in 2010, the Lamb of God has been performed hundreds of times worldwide, including performances in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square by the Davis Interfaith Choir and Symphony. Singing in the Tabernacle is quite an experience, and conducting this ensemble here has been just a remarkable lifetime experience. The most impact that I've seen has been the power of this music on the people who are preparing it and present the concert. The music is magnificent, and the people who perform this and prepare it have come with their deep, abiding testimonies and their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for Him. The narrative is a journey through the eyes of those closest to Christ, from antagonists

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to the faithful.

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I think of her experiences, how she felt as her brother died and and the Savior wasn't there. And, you know, she had all this faith. She knew he was the Savior.

But this was a big test, I think, of her faith.

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Being a soloist just feels like standing up in front of people and bearing my testimony.

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The choir and symphony rehearsed for five weeks at a half dozen different Christian churches in Davis County, just north of Salt Lake City. It totally broke down barriers. I was amazed at how we started forming friendships that way so quickly. We would have their pastor give us a short devotional and offer a prayer for us before the rehearsal. I believe we all have a common denominator in all this,

our desire wholeheartedly is to serve God, serve the people and love God, love the people. And we need to show it by coming together. We are one church, really, in spite of being different churches, one body of Christ, that’s what He wanted and that's what we are celebrating here. It's all for Jesus. This whole world. We’re all Christians. We all believe the same foundational truths. There may be difference, may be differences between our religions, but we're glorifying God.

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As a convincing witness of Jesus Christ, “The Lamb of God” has made a pronounced impact on the performers and the audience. The beauty of the music and the message in the lyrics, they touched my heart.

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The score uses the harp in a lot of ways that represent the Atonement. And so, oftentimes, I think of my part as the drops of blood that Christ spilled for all of us. The harp often shows up in these heart-aching moments where the soloists are crying out to the Lord for help, and we hear this undercurrent of the Lord’s support, that He is there, and that He is listening to us.

It helps you to identify with the people in the story.

It keeps us focused, I think, on what is central to our happiness and to our hope, any hope that we have in our lives and that is the Savior.

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