St Matthew Passion by JS Bach BWV 244 - 15 - Er sprach

The St Matthew Passion Project - One World Baroque

In early 2021, when choirs fell silent and churches were forced to close their doors, 140 singers from 10 countries came together online for an intensive project on Part 1 of J.S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion, led by Daniel Taylor and Kathryn Whitney.

We met on Zoom to rehearse, to learn German, to share in Bach-themed social events, and to take part in intimate conversations with leading Bach experts, who were exceptionally generous with our singers.

After rehearsals, our choristers, soloists, and organists undertook the colossal challenge of recording all of Part 1 of Bach’s magnificent work, part by part, entirely in isolation. Apart from those few you will see together on screen, no one met in person during the project.

More than 2000 individual files, all recorded on cell phones or tablets, are blended into the performance we offer you here.

Our organist, Matthew Larkin, recorded in no fewer than four churches, and thus on four very different instruments. The result is a multi-coloured organ part whose vibrancy, and shifting colours, placement, and depth, reflect this unique moment in the history of music performance. We acknowledge his extraordinary efforts in persuading key-holders to grant access to their organ lofts during lockdown.

Funded by choristers’ subscriptions, and completed through the generosity of many musicians, audiographers, and videographers, this project was a refuge in friendship and in beauty.

We are grateful to our choristers, soloists, technical team, and to our visiting experts, whose inspiration is heard in every note.

Above all, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to J.S. Bach, whose sublime vision of the light eternal brought us fellowship and hope in the darkest of times.

ST MATTHEW PASSION (Part 1) by J.S. BACH

Daniel Taylor, Conductor & Master of the Choristers
Kathryn Whitney, Artistic Director

Matthew Larkin, organ
Mark McDonald, chamber organ

Benjamin Butterfield, Evangelist
Kyron Basu, Jesus, Pilate, Peter, Judas
Jane Fingler, soprano
Rebecca Genge, soprano
Lindsay MacIntrye, soprano
Sinéad White, soprano
Rebecca Claborn, alto
Peter Koniers, countertenor
Jean-Philippe Lazure, tenor
Kerry Bursey, tenor
Joel Allison, bass

One World Baroque Virtual Chorus
(See closing credits)

VIDEO PRODUCTION & DESIGN
Kathryn Whitney

AUDIOGRAPHY
Charissa Bagan, Christopher Bagan, Nick La Riviere, Sam Stadlen, Kathryn Whitney

ASSISTANT VIDEOGRAPHY
Kyla Fradette, Nick La Riviere, Nicole Oziel, Leslie Painter, Sam Stadlen

SPECIAL THANKS
Nancy Argenta, Mel Braun, Robert Busiakiewicz, Adrian Butterfield, Benjamin Butterfield, Laurence Cummings, Charles Daniels, Howard Dyck, Anne Grimm, Dame Emma Kirkby, Nick La Riviere, Paul McCreesh, Nicholas McGegan, Leslie Painter, Sam Stadlen, Julia Wedman, Cristina Zacharias.

This performance is dedicated to our chorister, Cecilia Stevens, and to Healthcare Workers around the world.

ST MATTHEW PASSION – PART 1

Title - Project Description
Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen (Chorus, Jane Fingler)
Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte (Evangelist, Jesus)
Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen (Chorale)
Da versammelten sich die Hohen priester (Evangelist)
Ja nicht auf das Fest (Chorus)
Da nun Jesus was zu Bethanien (Evangelist)
Wozu dienet dieser Unrat (Chorus)
Da das Jesus merkete (Evangelist)
Du lieber Heiland, Du - Buß und Reu (Alto aria: Rebecca Claborn)
Da ging hin der Zwölfen einer (Evangelist, Jesus)
Blute nur, du liebes Herz (Soprano aria: Rebecca Genge)
Aber am ersten Tage der sünden Brot (Evangelist)
Wo willst du, daß wir dir bereiten (Chorus)
Er sprach: Gehet hin in die Stadt (Evangelist, Jesus)
Und sie wurden sehr betrübt (Evangelist)
Herr, bin ich's (Chorus)
Ich bins, ich sollte büßen (Chorale)
Er antwortete und sprach (Evangelist, Jesus)
Wiewohl - Ich will dir mein Herze schenken (Soprano aria: Lindsay MacIntyre)
Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten (Evangelist, Jesus)
Erkenne mich, mein Hüter (Chorale)
Petrus aber antwortete und sprach zu ihm (Evangelist, Jesus, Peter)
Ich will hier bei dir stehen (Chorale)
Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe (Evangelist, Jesus)
O Schmerz! - Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen (Tenor aria, Chorus: Jean-Philippe Lazure)
Und ging hin ein wenig (Evangelist, Jesus)
Der Heiland fällt - Gerne will ich mich bequemen (Bass aria: Joel Allison)
Und er kam zu seinen Jüngern (Evangelist, Jesus)
Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzeit (Chorale)
Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend (Evangelist, Jesus, Judas)
So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen – Sind Blitze sind Donner (Soprano & Alto duet: Sinéad White & Peter Koniers, Chorus )
Und siehe, einer aus denen (Evangellist, Jesus)
O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (Chorale & Ripieno)
Closing Credits

Fresco: The Life and Passion of Christ by Gaudenzio Ferrari (1475-1546), 1513.

We acknowledge with respect and thanks the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island on whose ancestral lands this project is based.