This is the fourth presentation of the pop oratorio: now at the International Youth Convention of the New Apostolic Church, on Friday, 31st May 2019 in the Düsseldorf Arena. The audience there will be treated to a special premiere: the work has been translated into English for the International Youth Convention.

A project choir around 3,400 strong will present the pop oratorio "I AM" for the first time in English in the Düsseldorf Arena. It will include soloists, actors, a band and a symphony orchestra. Tickets for the concert can be booked under karten.pop-oratorium.de. Admission to the concert is included in the entry fee for registered participants of the Youth Convention, so that an extra ticket will not be required.

The pop oratorio “I AM”

The pop oratorio “I AM” is a two hour performance in which the seven “I AM” words of Jesus and the wonders He performed have been musically interpreted. His message of salvation lies at the centre of the work.

The first message portrays Jesus as the Redeemer (“Jesus is the Christ”). The second message is concerned with eternal life (“Whoever believes in Him will have life through Him”) and the final message shows how mankind may attain this eternal life – by following Christ (“The footprints of Christ are the way to life”).

The story is fascinating: three burglars are planning to steal a painting from a gallery. This is how the “I AM” pop oratorio starts. The actors set the scene to the story, which gives a connection to each of the “I AM” words of Jesus. As the director of the oratorio, Benjamin Stoll, explained in an interview (Interview with the director and scriptwriter Benjamin Stoll), “Each role and figure has its own story to tell, and when one of the wonders begins, then each figure influences it in a particular way, at one time rather powerfully, at another time very gently, perhaps immediately or much later."

As the burglars try to find a way of deactivating the alarm system, they come more and more in contact with other portraits which depict scenes from the life of Jesus. All three see the “I AM” portraits in a holographic form of a multimedia show, and the story of Jesus leaves its trace in their lives.

The International Youth Convention Choir

Not only does Jesus appear in the performance as a figure, but also in the musical rendition of the International Youth Convention Choir (IYC Choir). Gerrit Junge is the general musical director of the project choir.

The pop oratorio was composed by Sigi Hänger and Christoph Oelig. Jürgen Deppert wrote the libretto and Benjamin Stoll developed the narrative and the script and also directed the production. The first performance of the production in the German language was in 2013 in the Dortmund Westfalenhalle. Further performances followed in the O2 World in Hamburg and in 018 in the Leipzig Messe.

An invitation to the divine service

Whoever enjoys the sound of the 3,400 young singers can also come again and enjoy more music two days later. The choir will be playing their musical part in the closing divine service of the International Youth Convention, which will be held by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider on Sunday, 2nd June 2019 at 10 a.m. with an attendance of over 30,000. All who have purchased tickets for the pop oratorio are also invited to come to this service. This is because the seats reserved cannot be otherwise used for organisational reasons – plus this is the chance to find out what a New Apostolic church service is like.