The Good Friday Tenebrae Cantata ServiceFriday, April 3rd • 7:30 PM

Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Sanctuary 

Approximate duration: 90 minutes

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 The Light in the Darkness

A New Tenebrae Cantata

Music by various masterworks composers, arranged by Chris Robinson (2026)

Presenting a Good Friday Tenebrae cantata has become an annual tradition at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Each year, after selecting the music, I choose one of the four Gospels and condense the Holy Week narrative into seven readings—retelling the Crucifixion story in a concise, moving arc that aligns with the traditional seven‑movement Tenebrae structure.

This year’s cantata, The Light in the Darkness, brings together seven movements by seven masterworks composers, newly arranged for this service. Three movements draw from beloved requiems by Mozart, Verdi, and Brahms. Another combines excerpts from two Schubert Masses. The remaining three movements transform instrumental works not originally intended for choir—Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, Mendelssohn’s Third Symphony, and a Chopin nocturne—into expressive choral settings. Their newly added texts, drawn from Holy Scripture, echo the tradition of Handel’s Messiah, illuminating the Passion story through music not typically associated with it.


All are invited to experience this powerful blend of scripture, shadow, and song as we reflect on Christ’s Passion and the hope that shines even in darkness.