Listen to The Jesus Story

Awesome!
That’s how we could truly describe Jesus Christ.

For two thousand years he has been a central figure in the history of our planet. Today over 2 billion people would call themselves Christians.

But who was Jesus Christ?
What did he say?
What did he do?
Why is his death important?
Why do people say he’s still alive?

Let us discover the answer through the songs of The Jesus Story. They were recorded at the performance on 19th April 2015 at Corby Glen.

Dayspring

Jesus was born a Jew, a member of an oppressed people. At that time Rome ruled the world, and the Jews were part of the Roman Empire.

But they hadn’t lost hope that one day someone would come to set them free.

A new day would dawn. Dayspring!

Dayspring, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Christmas

Jesus was born at Christmas.

Christmas! Is it magic or mayhem?

Most of us, young and old, enjoy the excitement of this season.

Our singing of Christmas Carols enhances the goodwill and joy of this special time.

Some carols are lullabies sung to the new babe of Bethlehem. Others help us to understand something of the meaning of his birth.

The next two songs tell the story of how baby Jesus was visited by the angels, the shepherds and the wise men.

Come and Worship

Come and Worship, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Here is Love

Here is Love, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Baptism of Jesus

We don’t know much about the growing up years of Jesus.

We do know that he grew up as the son of Mary and Joseph, the carpenter.

He was an adult when his baptism took place.

Baptism or Christening marks the beginning of the Christian life and today children and adults are welcomed into the family of the Church when they are baptised.

For Jesus, his baptism marked the beginning of his work of teaching and healing as the Son of God.

In our next song, Jesus hears the voice of God speaking to him from Heaven:

You are my son, the beloved one. I am pleased with you.
Yes, you are my son, the one I love. I delight in you
.

The Baptism of Jesus, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Time in the Wilderness

What Sort of Saviour?

Jesus was a man with a mission.

But before he began, he took time out to pray and to work out his approach.

In the wilderness he rejected the wrong path, suggested by the devil.

Forty days without food is no joke, but at the end of his fast Jesus knew the way he had to follow – the Way of Love.

In the song ‘What Sort of Saviour?’ the words of Jesus are sung by a soloist and the choir represent the words of the devil.

What Sort of Saviour?, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Teaching of Jesus

The Beatitudes

The Gospels give us much of the teaching of Jesus.

The next song is based on a famous passage in the gospels called the Beatitudes.

These teachings were given by Christ, and they point us to those whose lives show the blessing of God.

Some of these sayings may be familiar to you. For example: ‘How blest are those whose spirits are open to God, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them’.

The Beatitudes, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Prodigal Son

Jesus often used stories, called parables, to get across his message.

Some of them are very funny, with pictures from everyday life. Others, we find more difficult to understand because Jesus was trying to make his listeners think.

The next song is based on the parable of The Lost Son, known to many of us as The Prodigal Son. In this story, we see loving parents who long for the return of their wilful, selfish child.

Jesus is showing us a picture of a caring and loving God, who offers forgiveness to his children.

The Prodigal Son, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Miracles of Jesus

The Sea of Galilee

The extra-ordinary spiritual power of Jesus was demonstrated by his miracles.

The next song paints a musical picture of Jesus calming a storm on Lake Galilee. It starts off really calm and slow and gets louder and faster as the storm reaches its climax.

The Sea of Galilee, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Healing of Ten Men

Next is a song about the healing of ten men who had leprosy. Ten were cured but only one came back to say thank you.

The Sea of Galilee, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Entry into Jerusalem

Hosanna

After three years of teaching, preaching and healing, Jesus came to the capital, Jerusalem.

His popularity and his fame had grown over the years, and he was given a rapturous welcome by the people.

He chose to enter the city, humbly on a donkey, to show that, although he was a king, he didn’t need a warhorse and an army.

He came in peace.

The crowd shouted Hosanna.

Hosanna, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The ministry of Jesus was hugely popular with ordinary people. But many of the religious leaders took offence at it.

For one thing, he associated freely with people whom they considered to be unacceptable, such as prostitutes, and tax collectors for the hated Romans. And he was scathing in his criticism of their spiritual leadership.

He also made spiritual claims for himself which outraged them – for example, to have authority to forgive sins and to add to the law of Moses.

Finally, by riding into Jerusalem and accepting the applause of the crowd, he was claiming to be the long-awaited King of the Jews. This claim they saw as blasphemous and politically dangerous.

Jesus had to go!

Celebrating the Passover

The Last Supper

Jesus came to Jerusalem knowing that he was going to be killed.

He also knew that his death would carry a huge spiritual importance.

It was the time of the Passover Festival when the Jewish people remembered their miraculous escape from slavery in Egypt.

Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, but gave it new meaning by linking it with his imminent death on the cross.

The Last Supper, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Peace

During the Last Supper Jesus spent time reassuring his disciples that despite his death and physical departure from them, he would leave them his presence through the Holy Spirit.

Peace, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Gethsemane and beyond

The Moon Shines

When the supper was ended, Jesus took Peter, James and John to an olive grove called Gethsemane.

Knowing the awful death that awaited him, Jesus suffered a time of agonising prayer.

The song ‘The Moon Shines’ portrays the loneliness of Jesus as he struggles to come to terms with what he has to do.

It was shortly after this that he was betrayed by Judas’s kiss.

The Moon Shines, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Peter’s Denial

Jesus was arrested and taken to the High Priest’s house.

All the disciples deserted him, but Peter and John followed and gained access to the High Priest’s courtyard.

Peter had boasted that he would never deny his Lord, but Jesus had predicted that before a cock crowed he would deny him three times.

Peter’s Denial, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Crucifixion

Lord, What Have They Done?

Jesus was put on trial before the religious leaders.

The High Priest asked him if he was the Messiah, the Son of God. When Jesus said I am, the whole Council condemned him to death.

As they did not have the authority to execute the sentence, they brought him to Pilate, the Roman Governor. They accused Jesus of being a threat to Roman rule.

Pilate was not convinced but, swayed by the crowd, agreed that the death sentence should be carried out.

Jesus was to be crucified.

The song ‘Lord, What Have They Done?’ imagines someone looking at Jesus on the cross and thinking “What a waste”. The third verse, which you’ll hear sung as a duet, gives the reply of Jesus.

Lord, What Have They Done?, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

The Resurrection

Hallelujah

Everybody thought that Good Friday was the end of Jesus.

But on the following Sunday something wonderful happened – God raised Jesus from the dead.

Over the next few weeks he appeared to his family and friends on a number of occasions.

The next song, Hallelujah, celebrates the risen Christ.

God has spoken, death is broken – Christ has woken from the grave.
Christ is risen from his prison – Christ is risen from the grave.
Sing and shout now, tell it out now – Jesus is Lord!

Hallelujah, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Reflection

We See Christ

The song ‘We See Christ’ reflects on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It invites us to experience his living presence as we journey through life.

We See Christ, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Follow, Follow

Christians believe that Jesus Christ has rescued us from the power of sin and promised to be with us always.

He still feeds the hungry and heals the lame through those who follow his example.

This is Good News indeed, and we are glad to share this Good News with others.

Our final song is entitled ‘Follow, Follow’ and is a challenge to us to follow Jesus Christ.

Follow, Follow, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Hallelujah Reprise

Hallelujah Reprise, from The Jesus Story by Richard Rice-Oxley

Register to perform The Jesus Story

Resources for performing The Jesus Story

From here you can download the full vocal score of The Jesus Story, and a booklet with narration and the full words of the songs.

These include the songs and narration used in the original performances, as follows:

  1. Dayspring (Zechariah foretells the coming of Jesus)
  2. Come and Worship (The birth of Jesus)
  3. Here is Love (Reflections on the birth of Jesus)
  4. The Baptism of Jesus
  5. What Sort of Saviour? (Jesus is tempted in the wilderness)
  6. The Beatitudes (Jesus’ teaching)
  7. The Prodigal Son (Jesus’ teaching)
  8. The Sea of Galilee (A miracle of Jesus)
  9. The Healing of Ten Men (A miracle of Jesus)
  10. Hosanna (Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday)
  11. The Last Supper (The first Holy Communion)
  12. Peace (Jesus’ words at the Last Supper)
  13. The Moon Shines (Jesus’ prayer before his betrayal)
  14. Peter’s Denial (A friend of Jesus is all too human)
  15. Lord, … Why? (Reflections on Good Friday)
  16. Hallelujah! (Reflections on Easter Day – Jesus is alive!)
  17. We See Christ (Reflections on the whole story)
  18. Follow, Follow, Follow (The call)

The scores for six additional songs are available below, two of which (See His Light, and Face to Face with Jesus) may be particularly suitable for children:

  1. Sleep Tight (The birth of Jesus)
  2. See His Light (The birth of Jesus)
  3. Come to Me (Words of Jesus)
  4. Blood on His Hands (Good Friday)
  5. God has Spoken (Easter Day)
  6. Face to Face with Jesus (The Ascension of Christ)

Perform The Jesus Story

The Jesus Story tells, in words and music, the story of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as recounted in the New Testament Gospels. Inspired by the stories of Jesus, I wrote these songs at different times over the last 40 or so years. They are now brought together, along with the narration, to enable people of all ages to experience the power of the Gospel narrative in a fresh way.

I hope that The Jesus Story will be performed widely by choirs belonging to churches, schools and other groups. The score and soundtrack are freely available, and choirs are also free to make their own arrangements, as long as the words and melody line remain as written, and copyright is observed.

As the musical covers the whole story of Jesus, you may wish to use the whole or part of the score in your production. Individual songs may be chosen to be used at a particular event or seasonal church service. There are several songs suitable for children.

The Jesus Story has been used by churches in the past for fundraising. I do not require any royalties, and so all of the profit from any concert you put on will go to your designated charity.

Friends have contributed to The Jesus Story. In particular I would like to thank Janet Roberts, Sue Glover, Stephen Buckman, Julian Watson and my dear wife, Sylvia.

Writing these songs has been a blessing from God to me over the years. I hope and pray that singing them will be a blessing both to you and to those you share them with.

Resources for performing The Jesus Story

Register to perform The Jesus Story

The story behind The Jesus Story

I began writing songs in the early 1970s, soon after I was ordained as a Church of England minister, as an expression of my faith.

My first appointment was to be curate in Eastwood parish.  This was a spiritually uplifting time, and in the spring and summer of 1972 I was inspired by God to write a number of songs.  One of them was The Sea of Galilee. I found myself playing on my guitar two chords, and was fascinated with them. As I played them over and over again, they suggested the sea.  Composing a song about Jesus’ Stilling of the Storm just followed on naturally.

Galilee boat
This photo of The Sea of Galilee was taken by Sylvia as part of her pre-ordination training in 2008.

In 1973, I became Youth Adviser for The Church Missionary Society (now The Church Mission Society) and was based at the Headquarters in Waterloo Road, London. The setting of The Beatitudes was composed during a group trip to Taize, a monastic community in the south of France which attracts young people from all over the world.  The community emphasises both social action and personal holiness, a combination we find in these words of Jesus.  Originally set to the New English Bible version, the current translation is now largely my own attempt to convey the meaning of the original.

Dayspring was written in 1977 for a song competition connected with a big youth event at St David’s in Wales.  I didn’t win, but the song has remained a favourite, and has often been sung in parishes I have served.

sunset gallilee

Whilst we were at the Church of St Matthew and St Luke, Darlington, I recorded all the songs I had written up to that point with the help of Simeon Hope. Some of the songs were sung in aid of a Charity. In 2008, the songs were kindly transferred from cassette to CD by Antoine Robinson.

The idea of collecting together songs I had written about the Life of Jesus came towards the end of 2010. Soon afterwards I had a dream in which someone was singing a pop song. When I woke up, I got my guitar and played the tune I had heard in my dream. I changed the words to Hosanna, as I needed a song to cover Palm Sunday!

In March 2011, I joined forces with the kids from the local Primary School in Aldbrough, East Yorkshire, one of the parishes where Sylvia was serving as minister. I was retired by this time, but helping in the Benefice. We made a CD, recorded in Aldbrough Church, which had 18 songs from The Jesus Story. The whole musical contains 24 songs, of which 18 were chosen to be sung at the performances in Corby Glen and Swayfield, Lincolnshire in 2015.

At the end of 2011, I composed Here is Love for Christmas which was sung by the Choir of the Aldbrough Benefice Churches. This is perhaps my favourite of all the songs. In 2012 I set about filling in the gaps in the narrative and wrote some new songs, for example the Healing of the Ten Men and Peter’s Denial.

I compose to the guitar and do not write down music.  I was helped in this by Julian Watson who kindly transcribed the musical between August 2012 and April 2013.  For a year I tried hard to get The Jesus Story published or performed, helped by Sylvia.   But despite a lot of effort (and prayer!) nothing happened.  Then in the summer of 2014 Sue Glover and Janet Roberts agreed to take on the project.  They did all the choral arrangements between them and produced the score.  They also recruited the choir and band members from the local area.   We had generous financial support from my friend Vic Wood who had been encouraging us during the difficult period.

The musical, which includes a linking narration, received its first performances on Friday April 17th in Swayfield Village Hall and Sunday April 19th in Corby Glen Church Street Rooms under the direction of Janet Roberts. Sue Glover produced all the publicity. The performances were received with great enthusiasm, scrumptious refreshments enjoyed, and we thank God.

The Jesus Story: Performances

2015 Swayfield and Corby Glen

The first performance of The Jesus Story musical was held at Swayfield Village Hall on Friday 17 April 2015. The second was held at Corby Glen Church Street Rooms on Sunday 19 April 2015.

A choir of over 20 sang the story, accompanied by a band of keyboard, drums and two guitars. The conductor was Janet Roberts who did an excellent job of keeping the music harmonious! A narration linked the songs.

Both halls were filled to capacity and the audiences joined in with two of the songs, with gusto. The following letter of appreciation sums up the response:

The Jesus Story – brilliant! Wasn’t sure what to expect, but was totally surprised and inspired by the very professional, enjoyable, simplicity of the presentation.

The orchestra was superb and the choir exceptional – such beautiful music and I could hear every word.

As you said – it is a gift from God – has to be, to send one away feeling so elated and joyful. Thank you – it must be heard again and again – it deserves such recognition. Please convey my thanks to all concerned – so very much appreciated.

2016 Harrowby Lane, Grantham; Edenham; Morton

WOW!!!! What an incredible treat! 
A really uplifting experience…

These were comments received after the performance of The Jesus Story musical, written by Revd Richard Rice-Oxley in Harrowby Lane Methodist Church, Grantham, and Edenham Church.  Around 100 people came and enthusiastically joined in two rousing choruses.  As the Vicar of Edenham said, The Jesus Story was a fitting beginning for Holy Week.

2017 Scunthorpe

The Jesus Story was performed by The St Hugh’s Singers and Friends on Sunday 14 May 2017 at 3pm in St Hugh’s Church, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe. The musical director was Duane Tow and the pianist Monica Cooper.

2018 Scunthorpe

The Jesus Story was performed at St Paul’s Church, Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe, on 18 May 2018

The Jesus Story

The Jesus Story is a musical journey, written by the Revd Richard Rice-Oxley, through the birth, life ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The choral arrangements have been made by Sue Glover and Janet Roberts.

The 24 original songs are all based on the New Testament, are in different styles, and take a varied approach. Some are a straight retelling of the Biblical narrative; others offer an insight into the meaning of key events, such as Christmas, Good Friday and Easter Day.

The songs are suitable for soloist, duet and chorus (choir and congregation or audience). Richard hopes that his musical may be widely used by churches and schools.

A selection of eighteen of the songs have been performed by a local choir formed from various churches in South Lincolnshire, under the leadership of Janet Roberts. Recordings made at one of the performances, together with narrative text, are available on this website: Listen to The Jesus Story.

Vocal scores with three-part harmony musical arrangements for the songs are available as pdf downloads from this website: Perform The Jesus Story.

A CD has been produced from local performances of The Jesus Story. If you could like a copy please email sylviariceoxley@gmail.com. Copies of the CD cost £3 with post and packing an extra £2. Please make cheques payable to Sylvia Rice-Oxley.

Summary of the songs, including bible references

These include the songs and narration used in the original performances, as follows:

  1. Dayspring (Based on Zechariah’s prophecy of the coming of Jesus; Luke 1:68-79)
  2. Come and Worship (The birth of Jesus; see Matthew 1:18 – 2:12 and Luke 2:1–20)
  3. Here is Love (Reflections on the birth of Jesus; see Matthew 1:18 – 2:12 and Luke 2:1–20)
  4. The Baptism of Jesus (Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist; Matthew 3:13-17)
  5. What Sort of Saviour? (Jesus is tempted in the wilderness; see Luke 4:1-13)
  6. The Beatitudes (Jesus’ teaching; based on Matthew 5:3-10)
  7. The Prodigal Son (Jesus’ teaching; based on Luke 15:11-32)
  8. The Sea of Galilee (A miracle of Jesus; Mark 4:35-41)
  9. The Healing of Ten Men (A miracle of Jesus; based on Luke 17:11-19)
  10. Hosanna (Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; Luke 19:28-40)
  11. The Last Supper (The first Holy Communion; based on 1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
  12. Peace (Jesus’ words at the Last Supper; based on John 14:27 and 15:11)
  13. The Moon Shines (Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane before his betrayal; based on Matthew 26:36-46)
  14. Peter’s Denial (A friend of Jesus is all too human; Luke 22:54-62)
  15. Lord, What Have They Done? (Reflections on Good Friday; based on Mark 15:16-39)
  16. Hallelujah! (Reflections on Easter Day – Jesus is alive; based on Luke 24:1-12)
  17. We See Christ (Reflections on the whole story)
  18. Follow, Follow (The call to mission; see Matthew 4:18-20 and Acts 4:8-12)

The scores for six additional songs are also available, two of which (See His Light, and Face to Face with Jesus) may be particularly suitable for children:

  1. Sleep Tight (The birth of Jesus)
  2. See His Light (The birth of Jesus)
  3. Come to Me (Words of Jesus)
  4. Blood on His Hands (Good Friday)
  5. God has Spoken (Easter Day)
  6. Face to Face with Jesus (The Ascension of Christ)