Leith Hill Musical Festival 2010

The Passion according to St John by J S Bach

Dorking Halls

Reviewed by Simon Ames

First performed on Good Friday in 1724 in Leipzig, Bach's exalted music makes big demands on the choral elements of the work. The dramatic force and poignancy of the story comes from the chorus speaking for the populace, soldiers and priests. The composer's contrapuntal score generates the deepest sense of immediacy, cruelty and confusion. The festival choir created all those expressions with strong entries and with a convincing, flowing style.

The gravitas of the performance was augmented by top class deliveries from the six soloists, notably from the experienced tenor Huw Rhys-Evans who narrated as the Evangelist to perfection. Equally convincing was Samuel Evans (bass) whose measured pace as Christus captured the dignity of the sacred story.

Musical instruments of the baroque period are a feature of the Canzona ensemble whose leader Theresa Caudle brings a wealth of experience to this outstanding orchestral sound.

Robin Gritton's role as chorus master had brought the choir to a high technical standard, polished to near perfection by the urbane Brian Kay whose masterly direction from the rostrum captured the power and the glory of Bach's great work in a way that is delightfully unique to this great music festival.