Passio

the St John Passion

Arvo Pärt

Good Friday, 6 April 2007
8.30 p.m.
Southwell Minster

directed by
Richard Roddis

Christus: Jeremy Leaman

As with the Chorale's acclaimed Holy Week performance of Bach's St John Passion in 2006, their Good Friday performance of Passio by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is part of the Minster's devotional programme. Pärt's setting of St John's account of the Passion is austere, sparsely-scored, but dramatic and moving in its direct simplicity. Lasting just over an hour, it sets only the biblical text, in Latin, scored for small forces. The role of the Evangelist is taken by a quartet of voices accompanied by four instrumentalists, but the texture is continually varied, ranging from a single voice to the full eight musicians. The roles of Jesus and Pilate are taken by individual singers with organ accompaniment, and the chorus takes all other roles, as well as beginning and ending the work with brief declamatory passages.

Admission is free

There will be retiring collection to defray expenses

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