SEJONG CENTER

[Introduction] 

An opera centering on Pastor Chu Gi-chol, a Christian martyr known for his “determination to die,” who, with a passionate love for God, refused to worship at a Shinto shrine despite being tortured by the Japanese.

 

[Main Arias]
# “Lord, if you ask me when I stand before You whether I have enjoyed all that was permitted by You and what I did with Your cross, how will I answer?” (An aria by Pastor Chu asking a self-reflective question)

# “Don’t Come Back Alive” (A heart-wrenching aria by Pastor Chu’s wife, Oh Jeong-mo, who urges her husband to maintain an unwavering faith)

# “Determination to Die! Lord, Accept My Spirit and Soul” (An aria by Pastor Chu immediately before his death, in which he says five different prayers asking God to give him the strength to endure the long pain and suffering, overcome the forces of death, and keep his faith until the end, etc.)

 
# “My Father” (An aria by Pastor Chu’s youngest son, Gwang-jo, who suffers from aphasia after seeing his father drenched in his own blood following horrific torture)

 
# “In the Arms of the Lord” (a plaintive aria by a female believer from Sanjeonghyeon Church in Pyongyang as she succumbs to death after being brutally tortured by Japanese police for refusing along with Pastor Chu to worship at a Shinto shrine)