The Marks He Bears

This was my backup plan for submitting to the second composing competition sponsored by Millennial Choirs and Orchestras (MCO) for the Spring 2021 semester. I ended up submitting The Heart of the Shepherd instead. It didn't win. Hindsight is a beautiful thing but who knows whether this would have done any better. It's a bit of a gamble. I've been bothered for a while that Christ bears the marks of his crucifixion, whereas the rest of us are promised perfect, unmarred bodies at the resurrection. So, treading on a little doctrinal thin ice, I wrote this speculating about whether there would "ever come a day when those marks can be cast away." On the other hand, the song also contemplates whether the day will come when "the world no longer needs to see the marks he bears." So I guess you can take this in whichever way you are most comfortable with.

Written for Treble Solo with piano accompaniment.