Adelaide Cantata Band. Bethlehem Lutheran Church. 6 Sep 2024
The three hundredth anniversary of the first performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245) provides an ideal opportunity to rejoice in Bach’s music, and this all-Bach program by the Adelaide Cantata Band made for a most worthy celebration.
The Adelaide Cantata Band comprises an ensemble of top class soloists and instrumentalists, together with a choir drawn from the Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Pilgrim Uniting Church choirs under the direction of organist Andrew Georg. The Band opened with a motet, Bach’s Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all Nations, BWV 230) in which the excellent choir was supported by a gentle string accompaniment. There is some doubt as to the authenticity of this work and it has been suggested that it was written by another composer, but it is a magical piece.
The St John Passion was the first passion Bach had written in his role as cantor in Leipzig, which he had taken up in the previous year. The Band performed an exemplary selection of arias and a chorus from the St John Passion, beginning with the aria for alto, Von den Stricken meiner Sünden (From the ropes of my sins), wonderfully performed by Emma Woehle. Tenor Kim Worley was then outstanding in the aria Ach, mein Sinn (Alas, my conscience), as was bass James Scott in the aria Mein teurer Heiland, laß dich fragen (My precious Saviour, let me ask).
The musicians of the Adelaide Cantata Band all use historically informed instruments. For the aria Zerfließe, mein Herze (Dissolve, my heart), Bach required the use of an oboe da caccia (hunting oboe) instead of the conventional baroque oboe. The oboe da caccia is larger than the baroque oboe and has a curved body and a brass bell similar to that of a trumpet. It has a richer, warmer sound approaching that of a bassoon but a little lighter, and in the expert hands of oboist Jane Downer, it added depth and colour to the music.
Additionally for this aria, Brendan O’Donnell used a voice flute, which is a recorder tuned to a pitch between alto and tenor, in place of the more usual transverse flute or traverso. Its warmer tone combined with Suzanne Pederson’s glorious soprano voice and Downer’s oboe da caccia to create a mellifluous blend of sound. This aria provided one of the most magical moments of the evening.
The final excerpt from the St John Passion was the chorus Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine (Rest well, you blessed limbs) one of the most evocative pieces in the oratorio, and the choir and ensemble gave an exquisite performance.
The program concluded with a performance of the cantata Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (Only upon You, Lord Jesus Christ, BWV 33) for four-part choir, oboes, strings and continuo, which was first performed on 3 September 1724, almost exactly 300 years ago.
The aria for alto, Wie furchtsam wankten meine Schritte (How fearfully my steps wander) is the longest and perhaps the most enchanting element of this cantata, and it proceeds at a walking pace with a syncopated rhythm that suggests unsteadiness. First violinist Holly Piccoli’s muted violin combined beautifully with Emma Woehle’s alto voice and the organ continuo of Andrew Georg in a delicious intertwining of melodic lines, accompanied by string pizzicati that established the rhythm.
In the duet for tenor and bass, Gott, der du die Liebe heißt (God, you who are called love) Kim Worley and James Scott’s voices melded nicely, and the chorale, Ehr sei Gott in dem höchsten Thron (Honour be to God on the highest throne), provided an uplifting finale to conclude a memorable concert. The soloists, choir and instrumentalists of the Adelaide Cantata Band performed superbly.
Chris Reid
When: 6 Sep
Where: Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Bookings: Closed
