Diary of a ghetto priest | Coming September 22: 'Moses'- The Magnificent!

In the past 12 years that have passed, the production of Moses, that had drawn some 60,000 people, has been sleeping like a great treasure in the depths of myself.

This magnificent patriarch, Moses, had a vision of, and understanding of, the Kingdom and power of God that drove him for 40 years in the desert. He must find this Promised Land, which was tantamount to finding the Heavenly Kingdom of God on Earth.

The beauty and power of the music had to increase: both the rawness and crassness of the materialistic Miriam (shame on me) as well as the strange and ethereal journey that Moses took as he journeyed the journey to the idyllic village of Jethro's Kingdom: worldliness had to be depicted in dancehall rhythms, and haunting classical wind instruments to express the metaphysical search for meaning.

Writing these songs drove me to face up to the need for greater power in depicting the confrontation between Pharaoh and Moses, the pestilences - which is entirely new. I wanted an, opt piece - one major piece with much drumming and dance, with a call-and-response chorus which would present the eternal battle between good and evil, and the dreadful pestilences - frogs, crickets, locusts, and reptiles - which would destroy the disobedient - lying and deceitful Pharaoh and his people.

I believe that the addition of Dwight Wright and his Campion dancers, some of whom are in NDTC and drummers from L'Acadco, will create much art, much excitement, and beauty. The detail and brilliant colours of the new costumes, depicting Egyptian opulence and Israelite village life, I believe, will be stunning. The set designs are also notably different and creatively produced by P.J. Stewart.

The power of God in the parting of the Red Sea, the etching of the 10 Commandments by fire on the tablets, the burning bush and the idolatry of the golden calf are as important.

We are depicting the life of Moses and the power of God at work in men and women. And the entire crew and myself want to bring to life Moses and his people, and the great work of God in fashioning out a heroic way of life that cannot be replaced by any civilisation. That's why there is no limit on what our technical crew, actors and actresses, songs and dances, our crafters and brothers and our generous donors in cash, kind and in labour, will not do.

Our work is to glorify God at the National Arena, from September 24 to October 2. Tel: 948-6173 or 948-0286 for tickets.