HOW TO GO
What: Bach Society of Dayton presents "St. Matthew Passion"
Where: Kettering Adventist Church, 3939 Stonebridge Road, Kettering
When: 4 p.m. next Sunday, March 10
Cost: $18 for adults; $10 for students; Children 12 and younger are admitted free.
Tickets: Call (937) 294-2224, go online to www.bachsoceityofdayton.org or purchase at the door
More info: www.bachsocietyofdayton.org
FYI: A concert preview lecture by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra music director Neal Gittleman begins at 3 p.m.
The Bach Society of Dayton will present Johann Sebastian Bach’s epic, rarely attempted “St. Matthew Passion,” a masterpiece of classical music, next Sunday, March 10 at Kettering Adventist Church.
For the first time, the organization will mount Bach’s revered choral creation, which premiered in 1727 and is biblically based on Chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Mathew. The moving composition, written in German and primarily incorporating recitative, chorales and arias, chronicles Christ’s final days in a grand framework for double chorus, children’s chorus and double orchestra.
“The more you sing ‘St. Matthew Passion’ the more you realize you haven’t grasped the entire scope of what the piece has to offer,” said John Neely, Bach Society of Dayton music director. “There’s always something new around every corner to discover. It is written by someone who cheats being a genius.”
Soloists will include tenor John Wesley Wright as the Evangelist and baritone Mark Spencer as Jesus along with soprano Maura Cock, countertenor Steven Rickards, tenor Jeremy Winston and bassist William McGraw. R. Alan Kimbrough serves as Bach Society accompanist and organist. Aurelian Oprea, associate concertmaster for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, will serve as concertmaster for the 18-piece orchestra. The 45-member Concert Choir of the Kettering Children’s Choir, whose singers range from seventh through twelfth-grade, will perform with the Bach Society Chorus.
“At first, as it always seems, the German lyrics and the music were daunting for the Choir,” said Natalie DeHorn, artistic director of the Kettering Children’s Choir, in a press statement. “But gradually they have come to love the music and greatly enjoy singing the German.”
Regarded as the centerpiece of the Bach Society of Dayton’s 10th anniversary season, which concludes in May with a presentation entitled “Bach to the Future,” “St. Matthew Passion” is bound to leave a strong impression not only in terms of Bach’s enduring legacy but the troupe’s mission to present landmark classical works.
“This production will showcase a wonderful collaboration,” said Neely. “Because of the performing forces involved, ‘St. Matthew Passion’ is a work that isn’t performed very much. I really hope audiences take away a lasting memory of this piece. It’s definitely music to hold on to.”
About the Author