Mark (Illuminated): Part 1
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Narrator & Piano
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The entire first half of the Gospel of Mark, set to music
Here's the beginning of the Good News Program Notes
Mark (Illuminated) presents the entire text of Mark's Gospel, spoken, or occasionally sung, alongside new music which has been especially crafted to drive home the message of the words.
The music rides with the emotions of the story, but it’s not just 'mood music'. Different themes, melodies and musical motifs 'illuminate' the words. Key concepts and events in the Gospel of Mark all have their own 'musical signatures', making them easy to recognise as they are repeated within the beautiful structure of the book. And beyond these details, the music itself is both vivid and immediate, bringing to life Mark’s action-packed drama. For this project, I've also written my own paraphrased translation of the text, aiming at a natural, in-the-moment, storytelling style that remains as accurate as possible. I've aimed to reproduce, in English, the present tense and the rapid pacing which gives Mark so much force in Greek. Mark (Illuminated) was composed as a work that I could perform myself, at the piano, playing and narrating at the same time. But I'm very keen for others to perform this as well, and for any opportunities to re-arrange or orchestrate the music. © David John Lang 2025 Performance NotesWhile originally intended for a single performer, Mark (Illuminated) may also be performed by separate narrator and piano player. In either case, the aim should be more telling a story than performing a work. Eye contact with the audience is encouraged, as is flexibility between the piano and voice parts, so that neither sounds like it is following the other, but rather both are telling the story together.
The narration has been carefully written above the music so that individual words are close to the beat they are intended to fall upon. Sometimes you may wish to speak quite rhythmically, with the music (eg. at 2:15-17, or 6:17-28). But the overriding aim should always be for a relatively natural pacing of the words, fitting comfortably with the music without sounding constrained by it.. This is why no rhythms have been notated in the score, lest they become too limiting. The narration must always be clearly heard above the music. This requires a careful microphone setup and soundcheck. In some venues, it may be necessary to mic the piano as well as the voice in order to ensure an even balance of sound throughout. However, the aim should always be to let the piano sound as natural and dynamic as possible, as for a 'classical' recital. Acknowledgements
The time needed to create Mark (Illuminated): Part 1 was supported by the generous donations of a large group of anonymous supporters.
David & Elsabeth Lang are also grateful to the 'Mark Illuminated Team' who journeyed with us in the creation of this work, and whose prayers, insights, and feedback helped to shape it: Ryan Cuthbertson, Arthur Davis, Grace Fatchen, Jakub Jankowski, Peter Lang, Stephen Lang, Jessica & Joshua Miller, Jeremy Wright. Mark (Illuminated): Part 1 was first performed by David John Lang on 22nd August 2025 at Trinity Church Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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Duration: 80 minutes
Difficulty: Advanced InstrumentationNarrator
Piano NOTES:
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