Dramatised Concert by the Lea Singers of Bach's St Matthew Passion with James Gilchrist and Thomas Guthrie

Lea Singers

Bach’s St Matthew Passion is one of the great masterpieces of Western music. At its heart is a story of the most profound drama - the arrest, betrayal, condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Performances by a huge choir with five soloists lined up at the front of the stage are a familiar Lenten tradition. Yet this is a story, and a piece, that lends itself to an alternative, dramatized interpretation.
In an exciting new semi-staged production, director Thomas Guthrie will stage the St Matthew Passion in the nave of St Albans Abbey, with the performers surrounded by their audience and the Abbey’s unique crucifixion wall paintings, and the newly installed statues of the seven martyrs looking on from on high.
Through Bach’s chorales, arias and recitatives, each scene of Christ’s passion unfolds. Freed from the usual staging conventions, the voices of the vocal soloists, instrumentalists and chorus will move and intertwine to create a vivid musical portrait of Christ’s final days. Perhaps Christ will sing surrounded by his “halo” of string players, who only forsake him at the very last. Or maybe the alto soloist and solo violinist will stand together for their heartbreaking duet “Erbarme dich”, the violin carrying the melody and the human voice contributing only fragments. The two choruses might face each other in moments of dialogue.
The pivotal role of the Evangelist, or narrator, will be sung by James Gilchrist – Thomas Guthrie will sing Christus, and up-and-coming local mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston will be among distinguished soloists who also include Johane Ansell (soprano) and Nick Pritchard (tenor). Local violinist and leader of English Baroque Soloists under Sir John Eliot Gardiner and one of the leaders of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Kati Debretzeni will lead the first orchestra, and St Alban’s Abbey organist Tom Winpenny will be among the players. The chorus parts will be sung by the Lea Singers under conductor Benjamin Goodson.