Bach's St John Passion
Sydney Cantata Project
Saturday 29 August, 3pm | Shore School Chapel

Some of Australia's leading musicians will gather on the morning of 29 August and, by 3pm, perform Bach's St John Passion from beginning to end.

The St John Passion is Bach's most visceral, dramatic work — a shattering account of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Christ, drawn from John's Gospel. The crowd scenes are violent and relentless. The arias cut suddenly into grief and tenderness. And holding it all together is the Evangelist, narrating in real time as the story hurtles toward Golgotha.

This is also, more or less, how Bach first presented it. On 7 April 1724, the congregation of St Nicholas's Church in Leipzig heard the St John Passion as part of a Good Friday Vespers service. The Sydney Cantata Project recreates that original context: organ chorales by Bach and Buxtehude placed throughout the Passion, congregational hymns that the audience is invited to join, and solos distributed across the choir rather than assigned to dedicated soloists.

One day of rehearsal. One of the most powerful works ever written. Come and be part of the congregation.

Artistic Director | Jack Stephens