One of the most well-known features of St John's Gospel is the recurrence of the phrase 'I am'. Jesus used these two words in descriptions of himself, his relationship to us and to God, but his use of them gives us a direct link back to the Old Testament when God called himself 'I Am' to Moses.

It was this theme of the eternity of Jesus and the life and light he brings which inspired the writing of I Am. This is not a musical narrative of part of Jesus's ministry; instead it concentrates on his word. It relates the events which led to Jesus saying 'I am…' and reflects his teaching through the choir. Thus this entirely new structure for a musical production combines dramatic and choral music.

Although each section of I Am is complete and self-contained both musically and dramatically, theologically they are all linked. The theme has enabled us to tackle some new subjects such as the feeding of the five thousand, the saving of the adulterous woman and the raising of Lazarus. We have also been able to put the spotlight on aspects of the Last Supper which are often forgotten.

The eight sections are:

I Am the Bread of Life

I Am He

I Am the Real Vine

I Am Who I Am

I Am the Light of the World

I Am the Good Shepherd

I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life

I Am the Resurrection and the Life.

The production requires a good male soloist for the character of Jesus, plus various other small solo roles. There is an on-stage chorus of disciples and other men and women. The original production included a few children in the on-stage chorus. The choir is a three-part ladies' choir, positioned off-stage (but visible).

The complete production lasts about 2 hours, including an interval.

Concept: Helen Rawson

Words: Helen and Jeremy Rawson

Music: Jeremy Rawson

Drawing by Derek Sweet