ST JOHN PASSION RE-IMAGINED
(From the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs website)
Continuing our much-loved tradition of Easter concerts, the Chamber Singers perform Bach’s St John Passion at The Concourse, Chatswood.
In the space of two hours, Bach draws on the theatrical conventions of opera to reveal the immediacy and humanity of John’s “eyewitness” Gospel account. And at the heart of the drama is the chorus – bringing a fierce, almost visceral realism to the crowd scenes and irresistibly drawing us into a spirit of contemplation in the chorales.
It’s a sign of great music that it survives change – new contexts, new trends, new audiences. No longer do you need to sit for hours in a Lutheran pew on Good Friday in order to hear one of Bach’s mighty “sermons in sound”. The dramatic power of his St John Passion – a vivid enactment of the Easter story – has transcended its church origins to speak a universal, musical message that combines storytelling and meditation.
So for this “re-imagined” performance of Bach’s St John Passion we’ve commissioned two brief “reflections” that will comment on questions posed by this great work. And you’ll hear them in the context of Bach’s sound world, with an orchestra of period instruments. In many ways, this will be the St John Passion as you’ve always heard it – turbulent and majestic, anguished and comforting, furious and serene – but with a 21st century perspective to inspire new contemplation.
This program will open with an Acknowledgement of Country sung in Gadigal language. The remainder of the program will be sung in German.
The program will run for approximately 2.5 hours including a 20 minute interval.
Saturday 3rd April
The Concourse Concert Hall, Chatswood
PROGRAM
Johann Sebastian BACH St John Passion
Joe TWIST Heaven, Tear Apart (Himmel Reisse)*†
Brooke SHELLEY Ein Bachlein im Bach*†
* Premiere
† Commissioned as part of our 100 Minutes of New Australian Music centenary project in 2020.
We’re delighted to be performing them in our 2021 season.
ARTISTS
Elizabeth Scott conductor
Richard Butler Evangelist
Andrew O’Connor Christus
Celeste Lazarenko soprano
Sian Sharp mezzo
Nicholas Jones tenor
David Greco bass
Chamber Singers
Sydney Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Tickets for this performance will go on sale on Monday 22nd February