St. John Passion - Salt Lake Choral Artists

The St. John Passion is one of Johann Sebastian Bach's more interesting works. It is a dramatic representation of the capture, suffering, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ based on the book of John from the New Testament. This massive two-hour work displays some of Bach's most daring writing including the use of remote keys and chromatic melodic writing that is seamlessly intertwined with the sacred text. The work calls for choir, chamber orchestra (in which Bach scored for some unusual instruments that had fallen out of use even his time), a quartet of soloists singing arias, and three male soloists who play the actual roles of Jesus, Pontius Pilate, and an Evangelist.

Brady Allred

Perfectly timed for Easter, Salt Lake Choral Artists, conducted by Brady Allred and accompanied by the SLCA chamber orchestra (Alexander Woods, concertmaster), presented this masterpiece at the Waterford School's concert hall in Sandy. SLCA is a consistently fine group in Salt Lake City and this concert was no exception. Performed in English (a new translation by Neil Jenkins), from the first downbeat of "Hail! Lord and Master" the room was filled with sound and energy, the music foreshadowing the events to come. The choir was strong and confident.

Almost immediately, the Evangelist begins to narrate the story. Sung by tenor Chris Lecluyse, the part is vocally and emotionally demanding. The Evangelist sings through the entire work describing the events as they unfold. Lecluyse wowed the audience with his clear lyric tone and incredible stamina. His free and flexible voice was perfect for the narration as he displayed his interpretation of the drama presented.

Chis Lecluyse

Each of the soloists were excellent. Baritone, Christopher Holmes as Jesus gave a stately and noble performance exceptionally appropriate for the part while Rex Kocherhans as Pontius Pilate expressed great the depth of his roll and exquisite tone. Singing the arias (Bach uses the arias to express thoughts that aren't moving the action along, while the other soloists actually play parts that move the drama along), were soprano Carol Ann Allred, mezzo-soprano Anna Mooy, tenor Tyler Nelson, and baritone Darrell Babidge. Channeling a beautiful baroque lyric style, Carol Ann Allred sang with beauty and precision, most notably in the aria "O heart, melt in weeping." Amidst this difficult aria, Allred sang effortlessly and honestly, mourning the death of Jesus, she captured such sincerity for the text and music it was absolutely heartbreaking.

A challenge of the work is in the instrumentation of the first alto aria "From the bondage of iniquity." In a low range for mezzo-soprano Anne Mooy there were some balance issues as she was accompanied by the winds in their more powerful ranges. Her aria "It is fulfilled," with better instrumentation was stunning. Mooy sang this powerful text with such evocative dignity that expressed the tragedy and majesty of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This marvelously stately and noble aria was given humanity and courage by Mooy's wonderful performance.

Tyler Nelson

Tenor Tyler Nelson truly shined in his arias. Previously having sung with SLCA for their performance of the Mozart Requiem a few weeks ago, Nelson sang magnificently throughout. Most notable was his performance of the aria "Behold Him." Nelson really sparkled through the melismatic passages and long-held notes. His performance was effortless and polished. Baritone, Darrell Babidge interpreted some of the most interesting arias that were often accompanied by the choir. The part requires an extensive range and quick melismatic passages that he sang as fluently and naturally as can be.

Brady Allred presented another incredibly nuanced and polished masterwork. In the first half of the concert the orchestra experienced some tuning problems that were repaired before the significantly longer second half. Other than that, the performance was exquisite. The choir showed remarkable dedication and passion for the work as they took on multiple personas the music called for. The work is peppered with chorales, originally meant for the congregation to join for the Good Friday service, SLCA sang these small chorales like true works of art with very emotional interpretation, particularly the final choral "O Jesus, when I come to die" really showed off their skill, and more importantly, their sincerity. The chamber orchestra played with historically-informed nuance, with stand-out performances by members of each section. Throughout, the choir sang with an informed wide range of dynamics and impeccably fine distinction of articulation.

One of the most magnificent moments of the St. John Passion is the chorus "Crucify Him!" Bach puts the women and men sections in duets with each other and the moment is intense and SLCA conveyed it extremely vehemently and fervently making it one of the most stand-out moments of the evening.

This was another wonderful performance from Brady Allred and the Salt Lake Choral Artists. Remarkably, this is the third masterwork SLCA has performed in the past month (previously performing Mozart's and Brahms' Requiems)! What is most impressive is each performance has been absolutely exquisite. Emotionally informed and impassionately performed, the musicians on stage presented Bach's St. John Passion as an unforgettable night with one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. There is one more chance to see this concert Saturday April 19th at the Waterford Concert Hall in Sandy at 7:30 p.m. I can think of no better or more appropriate activity to prepare for Easter, and even for the non-religious, this is truly a magnificent experience of marvelous music.