Yorkshire Baroque Soloists - St Matthew Passion

Bach’s St Matthew Passion was never designed to be a concert piece, but some of the most exciting performances in recent years have been ones in which the latent drama of the piece has been vividly realised. In this performance of Peter Seymour’s new edition of Bach’s early version, Yorkshire Baroque Soloists seek out this element in a semi-staged production directed by Thomas Guthrie and featuring some of today’s most vital interpreters of the roles of Evangelist, Christ and Pilate and arias performed by members of the solo voice choirs. Reflecting the central role of the ‘great Passion’ in the Good Friday liturgy, the sense created of a community enduring with dignity the traumatic events of the Crucifixion is also stirred here in organ solos and chorales involving the participation of the congregation – otherwise known as the audience!

“simply delightful, wonderful playing” York Press

These three chorales outline the work as a prelude, interlude and postlude. The audience will be invited to a short rehearsal at 6.30pm of the three chorales they will be singing.