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 15, 2022, 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 Olivia Webb, 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 Janet Cubey, cello, with Grant Bartley, organ, and the performance will be directed by Don Whelan. On Easter Sunday morning, the 11 a.m. Solemn Mass will include Handel’s Worthy Is The Lamb & Amen chorus, the Byrd motet Haec Dies, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass.
While observing the necessary restrictions for the Covid epidemic, the CBS musicians have sustained their liturgical role at the Sunday Solemn Mass, and the CBS Orchestra has performed two highly successful concerts. In February, the strings presented a mainly baroque programme, featuring Natalia and Alexandra Lomeiko playing a riveting Bach double concerto. In March, the full orchestra presented an all-Haydn programme, including his Organ Concerto and Symphony 93. As part of the next concert, a first Christchurch performance of Rutter’s oratorio The Falcon, will be given at 2 pm on Sunday 19 June. This was his first ambitious piece for choir and orchestra, based on texts associated with the church festival of Corpus Christi to be celebrated that day.
Another Christchurch Choral Festival is planned for August 14, at 3 pm. If circumstances permit, the CBS choir, orchestra and soloists will perform Haydn’s oratorio The Creation at 2 pm on Sunday 2 October. The CBS musical year concludes with its annual Messiah at 1.30 pm on Sunday, 11 December, and Weber’s Jubilee Mass 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 April and May include advanced performers from the University School of Music, Henry Nicholson, Grant Bartley, Apollo Musicum, and St Andrew’s College, with pianists Michael Lawrence and Alice Kuo, and organist Nichols Sutcliffe.
The cathedral musicians maintain an extensive repertoire of masses and motets, sung each Sunday at the 11 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. Those interested are invited to contact the CBS Musical Director, Don Whelan, phone 358-5873.
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