Berkshire Bach Society to Perform St. John Passion in Great Barrington
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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) has announced a performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion on Saturday, April 11, at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington. The 3 p.m. concert marks the society’s first presentation of the work in 31 years, following a 1995 performance at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall.
James Bagwell, the BBS Director of Choral Music and a professor at Bard College, will conduct the performance. Bagwell has assembled a cast of professional soloists and the Berkshire Bach Ensemble for the production, with tenor Gene Stenger performing the role of The Evangelist and BBS Artistic Director Eugene Drucker serving as concertmaster.
The St. John Passion was completed in 1724 during Bach’s first year as Music Director in Leipzig. According to BBS Executive Director Terrill McDade, the work is characterized by a "freer and more extravagant" style compared to the later St. Matthew Passion. The upcoming Great Barrington performance is part of a long-term artistic initiative by the society that includes scheduled performances of the St. Matthew Passion in 2028 and the B minor Mass in 2030.
The program is expected to last approximately two and a half hours. In keeping with the work's historical premiere at the Church of St. Nicholas, the performance will include a single intermission approximately 30 minutes into the piece, traditional for the placement of a sermon during Bach's era.
While the society will also hold a second performance on April 12 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, N.Y., the Great Barrington appearance serves as the regional opening for this ambitious choral cycle.
Tickets are available through the Berkshire Bach Society website. Admission is free for children and students under the age of 25 with a valid ID.
