Captain Kirk Explains Passover

William Shatner is God. And Pharaoh. And Moses, too.

Just in time for Passover, the Jewish Music Group (a division of Shout Factory) has released "Exodus: An Oratorio in Three Parts," performed by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. It is conducted by David Itkin, who created and composed the Oratorio, sung by baritone Paul Rowe and includes dramatic readings from the Bible and from the haggadah, spoken by none other than Shatner.

"It’s perfect seder entertainment," Shatner said recently, but more than that, "it speaks to people of all religions. It’s something that should be in repertory."

"Exodus: An Oratorio" is divided into three parts: "Moses and Pharaoh," "The Ten Plagues" and "Redemption." The music mixes symphonic and sacred, modulating strings, choral voices and baritone solos to provide both uplift and ballast to the biblical material — as well as gentle musical transitions between some of Shatner’s narrative performances. While Shatner has been parodied for his ability to bring a level of bombast to almost any material, here he gives a varied and nuanced performance — his voice varies from sounding like a pulpit rabbi to the muted and conversational tones of a line reading. And then there are the special effects that are his signature — when he makes his words pop with emphasis: (i.e., I…..AM…..THE…..LORD!)

"Exodus" was recorded live on April 9 and 10, 2005, at the Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Rock, Ark., where the Arkansas Symphony was joined by a choir of 350.

Click here for a short excerpt of Shatner’s performance. MP3. 700K.

"It was quite a happening," Shatner recalled in a recent telephone interview.