A file photo of the America Festival Chorus in concert.
LOGAN – The American Festival Chorus and Orchestra has scheduled two performances of Bach St. John Passion in two different locations. One performance will be on Good Friday, April 7, at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church located at 85 East 100 North in Logan. And the other will be Sunday, April 16, at 8 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Madeleine located at 331 E. S Temple in Salt Lake City.
Both performances are free and open to the public and donations are welcome. Seating is limited for the Logan performance. The concert is for ages 8 and up.
Dr. Craig Jessop will conduct the chorus along with a cast of soloists. The music is regarded as one of the quintessential masterpieces and one of Bach’s revered accounts of Christ’s Passion from the Gospel of John.
The music is both meditative and powerful and is considered by some to be the most beautiful of his passion oratorios, Bach’s St. John Passion continues to inspire audiences three centuries after it was written.
Dr. Jessop chose to use the English translation of the work.
“I think you will find that hearing this work in your native tongue will enhance your understanding of what Bach was doing through the marriage of text and music,” Jessop said. “Bach was a master at using melodies, harmonies, and patterns to symbolically illustrate this text in powerful ways.”
The Good Friday performance date was carefully chosen as well. The St. John Passion was first performed on Good Friday in 1724 at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig. “Bach initially wrote the St. John Passion as a way to present the Passion story in music at Good Friday vesper services.”
Originally there was a sermon falling in the middle of the work, interspersed with hymns and biblical readings.
“It was always meant to be a liturgical piece, not a concert. Presenting this on Good Friday just feels right,” he said.”
The role of the Evangelist will be sung by Grammy Award-winning tenor Thomas Glenn. Other soloists include: John Buffett, Bass (Jesus); Celena Shafer, Soprano; Aubrey Adams-McMillan, Mezzo-soprano; James Reese, Tenor; Christopher Holmes, Bass; Jaron Putnam, Tenor (Peter).
The American Festival Chorus and Orchestra has become one of the premier professional musical organizations in the region.
Under the artistic direction of conductor Dr. Craig Jessop, and associate director Dr. Cory Evans, AFCO provides a culture of musical excellence that edifies, entertains, and educates performers and
For more information, visit americanfestivalchorus.org.