For the Edinburgh Bach Choir’s final performance in their centenary year they performed in German the much loved church litany for Good Friday. J. S. Bach composed five passions in all; St Matthew is the better known of the two that survive. First composed in 1727 and performed in 1729, its music and text was improved bit by bit until Bach directed his last performance in 1745.
The Passion starts from the point when the chief priests, scribes, and the elders of the people gathered at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and took counsel together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. It goes through till Jesus is buried and Pilate tells his guards to make the grave as secure as possible.
There were six first class soloists - four of whom stood behind the musicians but Jesus was high in the church’s particularly tall pulpit, whilst Judas appeared fittingly from under the pulpit.
Raised up on either side, and slightly under the gallery, were two choirs of some 35 singers each and they were in front of the two orchestras of some 18 players each. Morley Whitehead and Leon Coates each had an organ at the back of their orchestra.
Thirty girls from George Watson’s College formed the Ripieno Chorus. They stood at the back of gallery in the early stages under Steven Griffin, their Chorus Master, who later performed the tenor part of Judas.
In all there were more than 140 performers and pulling it all together extremely successfully with his conductor’s baton was Neil Mantle. He has steered the Choir since 1993 and continues to ensure its high reputation.
We were well warned that as this was a religious piece there had to be no applause until right at the very end. And that was after three hours of sensitive, crisp and inspiring music. Not surprisingly the discerning audience showed its considerable appreciation by the applause.
Event
Saturday 26 March 2011, 6.30pm