Bach’s St John Passion
Norwich
London
Cambridge
13 – 15 Apr 2017
Bach
St John Passion
Artists
Mark Padmore
Evangelist/director
Jacqueline Shave
violin/director
Simon Russell Beale
reader
Eamonn Dougan
Britten Sinfonia Voices Director
Summary
Celebrated tenor, Mark Padmore has gained particular acclaim for his numerous appearances as Evangelist in Bach Passions. He describes Bach’s music as ‘an endless journey of discovery’, and he’ll certainly bring this love for the music and sense of dramatic intention to these Easter performance in which he sings with and directs Britten Sinfonia. Bach’s masterpiece perfectly balances the theatrical and devotional, and is interspersed here with sacred texts, and poetry by TS Eliot read by Simon Russell Beale.
Explore the music:
Find out more about Mark Padmore in our Q&A with him.
Download the programme notes.
Read Mark Padmore’s article in The Guardian and find out why he thinks St John Passion belongs on the stage at Easter.
Norwich Pre-concert Talk, 6.30pm: Jonathan Morley, Programme Director at Writers’ Centre Norwich leads a talk on TS Eliot’s poetry.
Please note there will be no interval during these performances.
Related News / Blog
Reviews
Classical Source
"As a result of the chemistry between Dougan, Padmore and Jacqueline Shave, the ensemble was very tight and fluid."
Read MoreThe Guardian
"As always, Padmore’s minute focus on the text made his account compelling, and his distinctive tone colours unerringly matched the piece’s emotional depth"
Read MoreThe Independent
"One can only marvel at Padmore’s total command of every inflection in a performance refined to its quintessence."
Read MoreMusic OHM
"The Britten Sinfonia played with their usual excellence, and with a consummate understanding of the style"
Read MoreThe Spectator
"A Passion that can find its humanity and not just its ritual beauty, that can transform an audience into a congregation, is a rare thing, but one Mark Padmore and the Britten Sinfonia achieve in their skilful reimagining."
Read MoreThe Telegraph
"The playing was excellent throughout, with some particularly fine obbligato provided by Reiko Ichise’s viola da gamba."
Read More