Good Friday: Bach, St John Passion
In 1724, for his first Easter in charge of music in Leipzig, Bach presented a new work for the Good Friday liturgy: the St John Passion.
Dramatic choruses place us at the heart of the story, while poignant solo arias and achingly beautiful orchestration explore the characters' emotional depth - and offer us space to pause and reflect. Three centuries after that first performance, it is a masterpiece that still speaks to us profoundly, regardless of belief.
We get closer still to the Good Friday traditions of Bach’s time with chorale preludes, motets, readings and communal hymns.
Sung in German with English surtitles.
Running time: 3 hours including a 30-minute interval.
EX CATHEDRA Choir, Baroque Orchestra
& Academy of Vocal Music
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor
Sebastian Hill Evangelist
Thomas Lowen Jesus
Lawrence White Pilate
Imogen Russell, Katie Trethewey soprano
Martha McLorinan alto
Daniel Marles tenor
How to book
£50 / £45 / £35 / £25 / £15 including per ticket commission
Book online or call the B:Music box office on 0121 780 3333
Ex Cathedra is an Associate Artist at Symphony Hall & Town Hall (B:Music venues)
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Getting there
Find details on the venue website here...
Access
Everyone is welcome at Ex Cathedra’s concerts, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure you have a great experience.
You can find access information on the B:Music website here, including details of B:Music's Access Scheme.
You might like to note that each half of this concert will be performed as an uninterrupted sequence. Audiences will reserve applause until the end of each half.
If you have any other access questions, please contact us, we are happy to help.
Concert FAQs
Find answers to your questions here. Do let us know if we've missed anything you'd find helpful.
Jeffrey says
"It is always a great thrill and privilege for me to conduct Bach, the central pillars of our season. This year it is the turn of Ex Cathedra’s ‘traditional’ liturgical reconstruction of the St John Passion in Symphony Hall and the great composer’s six cantatas which make up the Christmas Oratorio, in Town Hall."
