Leicester Bach Society St Matthew Passion 8 April 2011 St James the Greater Church

On the eve of Passion Sunday, we were treated to an excellent peformance of J S Bach's Lutheran masterpiece The Passion according to St Matthew. Held by many to be the supreme achiement of Bach it certainly challlenges all who attempt it. We know it disappeared from being performed after it was put together in the 1740s and it was rediscovered by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdhy in 1840. Bach, unlike Handel, did not write operas. This is high baroque. The arias are of the form ABA and how appropriate these days, unlike when I was a lad, they are done ABA where the second A is sometimes decorated. 17th century Lutheran piety is so close to Post Trent Roman Catholic piety of the same time, or a bit earlier. The Good Night Jesus just before the final wonderful chorale is, for me, utterly touching, fitting in the context of the music and the spirituality from which the whole emanates.

It was first performed as a Good Friday evening/vesper service with the the congregation singing the chorales. Performance practice now varies from the "no applause- this is a sacred work" to, as on Saturday in Leicester, a perfornance in a church with applause. LBS was augmented by girl singers from Southwell Minster School. Two of the soloists dropped out late because of illness, their replacements standing in a very short notice. The double choirs were confident. The musicians in the two oechestras excellent ably supported by organ and harpsichord contino players. The conductor, Richard Laing, held it together with great authority. For me, the stars were the two choruses. My only slight criticism were the choice of the original German rather than an English translation which seemed to drain confidence a bit from some of the choir. This often meant their noses, I presume for security reasons, were stuck in their scores rather than watching the conductor. It's a small point and did not spoil the evening.

Speeds: I hold the view that Bach was essentially a dance musician and underpinning even the Matthew Passion there are subterreanean dance rhythms alive. The problem is once the choir size get about  2 or 3 to a part the speeds seem to slow down  and the the underlying dance pulse goes. Getting back to what were original choir/voice size needs some very confident singers. Last night, it was a biggish choir, or rather two moderate choirs and it struck a decent balance. Out of the choir have also got to come the bit parts like the maids and Pilate.

The venue, St James the Greater, early 20 century CE modelled on the basilica at Torcello, is splendid, accoustically good and welcoming - especially for those with mobility difficulties. It was a moving and powerful evening for those for whom it is the start of Passiontide and for those others for whom it is not,  an experience to be savoured. The welcome programme notes from the Chair of LBS and the evening's conductor were models of setting a complex piece in a context that makes sense for 2011. It is good to have a decent programme booklet and for only a £1 is a treat. If only Mr Laing had turned to the audience/congregation at the start of each chorale and let us join in this mighty work in the way, I assume, JS Bach originally intended.

From You Tube:

The is not Leicester Bach Choir but it gives a flavour of the work even on a tinny lap top.