"The Light That Was Christ" by Swami Kriyananda - Christ Lives - An Illustrated Oratorio
December 14, 2021
Composed after Swami Kriyananda visited the Holy Land in 1983, Christ Lives brilliantly captures the profoundly inspiring and uplifting experience of Christ’s presence there.
An illustrated oratorio, Christ Lives is a contemporary Oratorio that vividly brings to life the deep meaning of Christ's life. The photography and music by Swami Kriyananda, is sung by the Ananda World Brotherhood Choir.
In 2008, Swami Kriyananda and the World Brotherhood performed in San Jose, California. This is Swami’s introduction:
“I wrote this Oratorio after a visit to Israel, which we in the West call the Holy Land. I meditated. It’s very different Oratorio from any other you might find. I meditated in the various scared places. I felt the presence of Christ there, and I prayed to Him and He gave me these melodies. You can take that as you will, but to me it’s a reality. The melodies express the vibration of His presence which I felt there. It was a very holy visit for me. I hope you will feel His presence.”
As music alone can do, the Oratorio reaches the soul with both the message and spirit of Christ's life, and his call to all seekers to awaken the Divine within.
Lyrics
The light that was Christ in darkness did shine.
‘Twas the light that formed the heavens:
‘Twas the light that shone in the blindest of hearts,
Making clear at last the way to inner peace.
To testify that Christ came from above,
A messenger of God declared before,
“Fear not, Zacharias, for your wife, though now old,
Shall bear a son who’ll know wisdom’s ways.”
Lo! Zacharias and his wife,
Their wisdom reaped through the years,
Submitted to the will of God,
And became soon thereafter the parents of John.
Find more music by Swami Kriyananda at https://www.ananda.org/music/
