02/04/2026
The Cross Has The Final Say: A Sacred Sound Journey for Easter
Mezzo-Soprano / Contralto & Recorded Accompaniment
Sat 4 April | 2pm | St Peter's Church Wolverhampton
Vie Watson
A continuous, contemplative programme tracing the story of Christ from prophecy to resurrection through Classical sacred music, Negro spiritual, Gospel and contemporary hymn.
This offering unfolds as a living soundscape within the exhibition. Visitors are free to sit, stand, wander or remain in stillness — encountering the music at their own depth and pace.
The programme moves without spoken transitions, allowing the narrative to emerge organically through text, tone and silence.
Intention of the Offering
This 55-minute programme is shaped as a theological arc:
Prophecy → Devotion → Passion → Cross → Resurrection → Hope
Drawing on music from different eras and traditions — Latin sacred repertoire, art song, African American spiritual, Southern Gospel and Contemporary worship — the offering reflects the universal and enduring significance of Christ’s sacrifice.
The intention is:
To allow the church’s architecture to become an instrument • To invite contemplation rather than applause • To honour both the historic space and the visual artworks surrounding it • To create a shared yet personal encounter with the Easter story.
The repertoire spans centuries of sacred expression, acknowledging how the story of the Cross has been carried, sung, lamented and proclaimed across cultures and generations.
Programme (Performed as a continuous flow)
I. Longing & Promise
Ave Maria – Charles Gounod
The Lord Is My Shepherd – Howard Goodall
Panis Angelicus – César Franck
II. Devotion & Ministry
Give Me Jesus
Alabaster Box – CeCe Winans
There Is a Balm in Gilead
III. Passion
Were You There?
Behold the Lamb of God (instrumental meditation) – Richard Smallwood
Pie Jesu – from Requiem
IV. The Cross
Calvary – Richard Smallwood
At the Cross – Dottie Rambo
The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power – Andraé Crouch
Calvary Covers It All
The Cross Has the Final Say – Cody Carnes
V. Resurrection & Hope
My Lord, What a Morning
Because He Lives – Bill Gaither / Gloria Gaither
In Christ Alone – Keith Getty / Stuart Townend
Total Praise – Richard Smallwood
Artistic Distinction
This programme reflects the wider musical inheritance of the Church — acknowledging how the story of Christ’s sacrifice has been sung across continents, traditions and centuries.
The contrasts between Latin prayer, spiritual lament and gospel declaration will create a textured soundscape that mirrors the diversity of faith expression within the Christian story.
Practical Notes