It is hard to know where to start in commenting on last Saturday’s performance of Bach’s St John Passion.  It is a work unlike anything the Choir has attempted in recent years, and yet we succeeded in giving a performance which was more than creditable.  It was stunning.  This view is not just from within the Choir.  Audience members were thrilled by the music and the standard of the performance.  It was indeed a night to remember.

So many things came together to make for such a memorable evening.  Richard Butler was incomparable in the role of the Evangelist, ably supported by the continuo duo of Thomas Wilson and Michal Wieczorek.  Richard’s variety of tone and range of expression was key to our full experience of this gut-wrenching narrative. His singing was powerful and compelling.  Yet he sang almost sotto voce at key moments, holding the audience in the palm of his hand.  You could have heard a pin drop.

Alexander Knight managed to combine Jesus’ earthly agony and heavenly serenity very effectively, while Greg McCreanor’s Pilate sounded just like a compromised politician.

The other soloists, Maia Andrews, Nyssa Milligan and Joshua Oxley, sang their reflective arias with presence and sensitivity, an exact foil for the drama of the storyline.

Then there was the Choir – sometimes a baying crowd, sometimes a group of Roman soldiers, sometimes dispassionate onlookers.  After the spirals of the orchestral introduction, the first three chords, “Lord! Lord! Lord!” resonated round the Chapel in an indication that we knew what we were doing.  The first narrative section went together well, Evangelist and Choir moving the story ahead in a compelling manner.  From there the Choir seemed to grow in confidence and ability, singing the final chorus with a great deal of sensitivity, and the final Chorale as though the end of the world were nigh.

Alexandra Loukianova led the orchestra through this minefield of music with controlled flair, knowing exactly when to accompany and when to lead.  There was some delightful playing in the ensembles which accompanied the arias, none more so than in the Tenor Aria, “Behold Him”, with two violins and cello.

How did all this happen?  It is all the work of one man, our Conductor, Carlos Alvarado.  He had to rehearse all the musical components individually, and then meld them together into a coherent whole in just two final rehearsals.  The result speaks for itself.  From the point of view of a member of the Choir, it is clear that Carlos regards this music with the highest degree of respect.  He never let us forget what we were singing about, insisting on accuracy and expressiveness right from the first rehearsal.

This performance is a highlight of the Choir’s recent history and will be remembered long after others are forgotten.  We owe a huge debt to our soloists, particularly to Richard Butler, and to the orchestra, for their invaluable contribution.  But most of all we should reflect that it is indeed possible for a community choir, led by the right person, to do justice to some of the greatest music the world has ever heard.

As we get closer to the performance of the St John Passion, members are commenting that they are beginning to understand the work and the way in which Bach makes the drama of the story unfold.  It takes me back to the first time I sang the work, not ever having heard it, thirty years ago.  The rehearsals were at the start a bit of a grind.  Half the choir had sung it before, and those that had not were struggling to keep up.  Gradually, the newcomers caught up with the old hands and the music started to make sense.

Then came the first rehearsal when we began to put all the components together.  The WOW factor was incredible.  How did a composer in Bach’s day create such a compelling sense of drama with the resources at his disposal?  As we became more familiar with the music, the sense of magic became even greater, and the performance in Salisbury Cathedral was electrifying.

I have heard the work many times since, and have sung it a further three times.  Each time I marvel at the way the story comes to life and engages both performers and audience alike.

Next week we get to rehearse with the Evangelist, and then with the orchestra and eventually the other soloists.  We are very fortunate to be singing this work in the company of some illustrious musicians: soloists, orchestra and of course our inspired conductor, Carlos.  Performing such wonderful music with them will prove, I have no doubt, to be a truly memorable experience.

There are now two rehearsals remaining for the St John Passion before we put all the elements together in the final run-throughs.  We have covered almost all the music: all seventeen choruses and ten of the twelve chorales.  It’s a lot of  music to learn and remember.

Once again, Carlos is demanding high standards of us.  He encourages us to think actively about the text, the drive of the narrative and our different roles at different times.  We then have to sing not only accurately but also with meaning and feeling, befitting the wonderful music and its story.

These last rehearsals will be fascinating, as we get to work with the orchestra and the soloists to bring the whole work together.  We are most fortunate to have a stellar line-up of soloists.  In particular, Richard Butler brings a wealth of experience to the role of the Evangelist.  It will be a real privilege to sing alongside him.

We are now over half way through the rehearsals for Bach’s St John Passion..

What a privilege it is to sing such glorious music under the direction of Carlos Alvarado.  He not only teaches us the notes, but also draws us into the music and the meaning behind it.

For example, he describes the spirals of the orchestral introduction to the first chorus as rivers leading inexorably to the sea, representing mankind in its quest for God, and realised in the first three chords for the Choir: “Lord, Lord, Lord!”.

Carlos fits each chorale carefully into its context, demanding sensitive singing to match the situation.  Last night, for example, he demonstrated to us how a couple of bars describing in words and in notes, the ascent to heaven, should be sung.

This promises to be a memorable performance, which will be the culmination of many weeks of hard work.  As our President, Roger Pratt, has commented, this is the most challenging work we have ever sung, but it will also be hugely satisfying.

We were very pleased to note that a Friend of the Choir, Harvey Broadbent, received an honour on Australia Day.  He was awarded an AM for services to tertiary education and the arts.

From what we know of Harvey’s many and varies activities, it was indeed well-deserved.