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St John Passion
29 March 2024 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
JS Bach’s peerless music retells the story of the death of Jesus Christ.
St John Passion
JS Bach
First performed 300 years ago on Good Friday 1724, Bach’s St John Passion sets to music St John’s account of the events leading up to Christ’s death. Even now it remains an acknowledged masterpiece, performed hundreds of times each year all over the world.
It is at times highly dramatic, turbulent and emotional, while soothing, reflective, grief-stricken at others. The choir switches roles between the mob calling for Jesus’ death and the Christian community throughout the ages observing and reliving the horror of those events. The soloists too act out the parts of the main characters while giving voice to the thoughts and feelings of bystanders such as ourselves.
As ever, Bach’s music touches knowingly on our deepest and most complex emotions: love, betrayal, guilt, grief. Despite coming from what seems like another world, this work can still speak to us – moving, fulfilling and uplifting. Step into that world – and find yourself more truly and deeply present in this one.
The concert will finish at about 9.15pm. Tea and coffee will be served during the interval.
Toby Ward Evangelist
Phil Wilcox Christus
Colette Howarth, Heather Pennwood, Constanze Hartley, Joanna Shiels, Peter Condry
Christopher Trenholme, Scott Pennwood, Quentin Brown
St Peter’s Singers
National Festival Orchestra leader Sally Robinson
Shaun Turnbull continuo
Alex Woodrow Conductor
Toby Ward, Evangelist (Narrator), hails from Otley and started his musical life as a boy chorister at Leeds Parish Church (as Leeds Minster then was).
He then progressed via a Choral Scholarship at Gloucester Cathedral to a Tenor Choral Scholarship in the world-famous choir of Kings College, Cambridge, and then to the Royal College of Music.
He founded and directs the acclaimed early music group Ensemble Pro Victoria, and divides the rest of his professional time between singing, work as an organist and continuo player, and leading outreach workshops with young singers.
photo: Nick Rutter
Phil Wilcox, Christus, is well-known in West Yorkshire, having studied at Leeds Conservatoire, sung in the Bradford Cathedral Choir and St Peter’s Singers, and worked in many schools.
Following further studies at the Royal Academy, Phil has developed a wide and varied work portfolio, singing Oratorio, Opera for companies including English Touring Opera and Grange Park Opera, and as a chorister for Opera North and the BBC Singers.
Phil is very proud of his continuing outreach work as Learning and Participation Manager for Leeds Lieder, and he conducts a number of choirs for Music in the Office. He is a regular performer on the UK ceilidh scene playing the bass guitar and piano accordion.
photo: Matt Jones
St Peter’s Singers gratefully acknowledge the generous support of
The Friends of the Music of Leeds Minster
St Peter’s Singers’ presentation of Music for Good Friday is an annual event, given by kind permission of Leeds Minster. It provides an opportunity to hear one of the great works of the sacred Oratorio repertoire in a context than a concert hall performance on a Saturday evening cannot provide, and at a price that more people can afford.
Past works receiving performance include:
- Bach’s St John Passion
- Bach’s B Minor Mass
- Handel’s Messiah
- Brahms’ German Requiem
- Dvorak’s Stabat Mater
- Haydn’s Stabat Mater
- Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater
- Oglesby’s Penthos
St Peter’s Singers
Accessibility: Leeds Minster is about 5 minutes walk from Leeds Bus Station, and about 15 minutes walk from Leeds Railway Station. There is on-street parking on the side streets nearby, as well as the NCP Markets carpark (5 minutes) and the John Lewis carpark (10 minutes).
There is ramp access to the main doors beneath the tower, with entrance to the grounds at the West End by the Lamb and Flag pub recommended to avoid the steps up from the street level. Once inside there there is step-free access to the nave and to the City of Leeds Room for refreshments and toilets.