Bach St John Passion
373 Manchester St, Christchurch
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J.S. Bach’s St John Passion will be performed at 8 pm on Good Friday, April 2, 2021, in the Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Manchester Street. Written for Good Friday, 1724, the Passion is a compact and intensely dramatic setting of St John’s description of Christ’s last hours.
Soloists will be Elizabeth Emeleus, Louisa Pilkington, Ken Joblin, Wally Enright and Chris Whelan, with Adrian Lowe as the Evangelist, and tenor soloist. The orchestra will be led by Natalia M. Lomeiko, Continuo will be provided by Rebecca Bendre, cello, with Michael Lawrence on keyboard, and the performance will be directed by Don Whelan. On Easter Sunday morning, the 10.30 a.m. Solemn Mass will include Handel’s Worthy Is The Lamb & Amen chorus, the Byrd motet Haec Dies, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass.
On Palm Sunday, March 28, the CBS Orchestra marks the beginning of Holy Week with a free concert at 3 pm. This will include Haydn’s “Lamentatione” Symphony 26, the Barber Adagio for Strings, and Bach’s Cantata, 82, “Ich Habe Genung”, with international bass soloist Paul Whelan. A first Christchurch performance of Bach’s St John Cantata: Freue Dich (Be Joyful, Ransomed Flock) coupled with the Mozart Solemn Vespers K339 will be given at 2 pm on Sunday, July 4. Another Christchurch Choral Festival is planned for August 15, at 3 pm. The CBS choir, orchestra and soloists will perform his oratorio The Creation at 2 pm on Sunday 12 September, and a gala concert performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis is planned for Saturday, 20 November at 7.30 pm. The CBS musical year will conclude with its annual Messiah at 1.30 pm on Sunday, 12 December, and a performance of Haydn’s Mariazellermesse at the Christmas Midnight Mass.
The weekly Wednesday at One Pro-Cathedral concert series attracts a large and supportive audience, and presents a variety of soloists, ensembles and orchestras. Performers through March, April and May include advanced performers from the University School of Music, Alice Kuo and Veronica van der Knaap, piano, Natalia Lomeiko, violin, Gabriel Baird, Grant Bartley, Apollo Musicum, St Andrew’s College, and organists Chris Nicholas Sutcliffe, Alex Goodwin and Martin Setchell, who performs with soprano Sarah-Jane Rennie.
The cathedral musicians maintain an extensive repertoire of masses and motets, sung each Sunday at 10.30 a.m. Solemn Choral Mass. New members are welcome to the 7.30 pm Wednesday evening rehearsal at the CBS Music Centre. Sight-reading ability is expected. A number of vacancies exist for choral leaders within the group, who enjoy unique opportunities to perform solo roles in significant Mass and motet settings with the orchestra and choir. Leadership awards, and other scholarships, are available to suitable applicants. Those interested are invited to contact the CBS Musical Director, Don Whelan, phone 358-5873.
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