J S Bach’s sublime masterpiece, St Matthew Passion, will be performed at Hereford Cathedral as part of its Holy Week worship on Tuesday 16 April, 7 pm.
In a dramatic and musical retelling of St Matthew’s Gospel, Hereford Cathedral Choir will recount the story of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus in the sublime setting of the Cathedral Nave. The performance will also include the Choristers of Holy Trinity Church, Hereford and period-instrument orchestra Marches Baroque.
An acclaimed line-up of soloists will also be joining the cathedral choir. James Oxley, one of the very few tenors who has sung the role from memory, will reprise the role of Evangelist and Michael Mofidian, currently a 2018-20 Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, will perform as Christus. They will be joined by Rebecca Hardwick (soprano), Feargal Mostyn-Williams (countertenor), Peter Harris (tenor) & Colin Campbell (bass).
The performance of one of Bach’s Passions has become a regular feature of Holy Week at Hereford Cathedral, with the cathedral choir singing the St John Passion and the St Matthew Passion in alternate years.
Geraint Bowen, Director of Music at Hereford Cathedral said, ‘It is always exciting to re-visit these extraordinary works, which never lose their power to move audiences. In the course of the St Matthew Passion the choir has to adopt a number of different guises, one moment singing a tender chorale, the next portraying a baying mob calling for Christ’s crucifixion.’
Tickets which cost £18 (rear nave) or £25 (front nave) are available to purchase from the Cathedral Shop either in person, on the phone (01432 374 210) or online at www.herefordcathedral.org.
This concert has been supported by the W A Cadbury Charitable Trust.
