On Saturday 23rd March, St Albans Bach Choir celebrated their 100th anniversary with a splendid performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion in their home church, St Albans Cathedral.

The performance was accompanied by the Sinfonia Verdi orchestra, and conducted by Andrew Lucas. It also featured four notable soloists, including the bass Roderick Williams who sang at the coronation of King Charles III. The piece that they sang, the St Matthew Passion, was also performed at their first concert in 1924, making it particularly special to be singing the piece again for their centenary. The concert was a huge success, with the Cathedral’s nave being packed full and 720 tickets sold.

The performance was very authentic to the original composition, being sung entirely in German, and with the orchestra playing on period instruments. One of these instruments, the theorbo, was characteristic of the baroque period and resembles a lute with an incredibly long neck, giving it a range similar to that of a cello.

Reviews have described the concert as “a tribute to the choir’s preparation and dexterity”, “powerful and moving” and “thrilling”. Having had the privilege of attending the concert myself, I can certainly agree that the concert was fantastic and the music deeply moving. This performance was particularly special in that it was during Holy Week, when Christians remember the story told in the Passion.

The St Matthew Passion was written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727, and has since become known by many as one of the greatest choral works ever written. It features two chorus (choir) parts and two orchestral parts, and is comprised of recitative sections, where a soloist known as the Evangelist retells the story of Jesus’ death upon the cross with one or more of the four main soloists, and arias, again sung by one of the four soloists and accompanied by the orchestra. There are also several chorales sung by the whole choir, similar to hymn tunes.

The conductor of the Bach Choir, Andrew Lucas, will soon be directing his final concert before moving on after 26 years as Master of the Music at St Albans Cathedral. The concert will include Mozart’s Coronation mass, as well as his Requiem, and will definitely be worth attending!