Performers bring passion to Bach's epic work
St Matthew Passion, Bristol Phoenix Choir: St George's

BACH'S St Matthew Passion is now traditionally performed on Palm Sunday and this performance by Bristol Phoenix Choir continued the trend.
It is a long and tiring work, and stamina is needed by both chorus and soloists. This was particularly so with the difficult part of the Evangelist.Richard Rowntree covered this role with clarity and authority, showing supreme attention to detail and bringing out all the drama of the words with great skill and devotion.

Niall Hoskin's Christus grew in stature after a shaky start. He sang with great warmth and penetration.

The two higher voices - Rachel Skinner (soprano) and Caroline Lowe (alto) - sang their arias with confidence and conviction, producing some rich tone.The soprano's Jesus, Saviour, I Am Thine and the alto's Grief For Sin, were particularly pleasing.The warm intimacy of expression in the chorales was spellbinding and it contrasted with the almost crazed rabble in the crowd scenes.

The choir also put both these feelings over to the audience with a great deal of skill.

The Emerald Ensemble were excellent accompanists, with some strong obligato playing, and Leslie Bunt, the conductor, though at times prone to be overdemonstrative, led his large forces with a wonderfully human approach which brought out all the emotional feelings within the work.

In conclusion, I felt that the second half, at nearly two hours long, could have been carefully pruned without losing any of the necessary detail.

JOHN PACKWOOD
Bristol Evening Post, 10th April 2006
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