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| East Devon Choral Society St John Passion |
Andrew Daldorph and the East Devon Choral Society were working for twelve weeks to prepare for one night of music. On Saturday 25th March the choir performed J S Bach's "St John Passion" to a full house at Tiverton Baptist Church. Fiona McLean Buechel led the orchestra and seven professional soloists arrived to sing the arias. Josh Cooter was the Evangelist.
The hundred-strong choir sang with enormous energy and intense emotion. The opening chorale set the scene perfectly, and Josh Cooter's narration linked seemlessly with the massed responses of the choir. "Who are you seeking?" - "Jesus of Nazareth!" That marvelous energy was maintained all evening and, at the focal moment, the death of Jesus, the hall fell silent and you could hear a pin drop.
The resolution - this death is actually good news for mankind - leads into the final loving requiem to Jesus, " Ruht Wohl" (Rest in Peace). The mood by the end was overwhelmingly intense. As the final words, "Ich will dich preisen ewiglich!" (I will praise you eternally!) drew to their reverential close, the audience were totally with the choir to the very last note.
What a wonderful experience. Andrew Daldorph and the East Devon Choral Society, as always, have put in a spectacular amount of work to bring us a glorious rendition of Bach's master work. Many thanks to all involved.
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| East Devon Choral Society Organist: Colin Pettet Conductor: Andrew Daldorph |
The magic continues with a concert of mixed music at a new venue in North Devon - All Saints Church in Dulverton - on Saturday 13th May. The title is "Colours of Love", and the early evening workshop concert will include music from the last five centuries, from the reign of Elizabeth I up to the present day. Good News.
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