Bach St John Passion

Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, St Edmunds Roundhay, Saturday 15th March 2025:

by Melanie Eskenazi
published: 17 Mar 2025 in Opera + Classical Music Reviews

‘O Mensch, mache Richtigkeit…’ in these dark times, the advice in the second part of the St John Passion to ‘act justly’ seems especially appropriate, as we hover on the brink of so much conflict. This concert season is dominated by the St John, with few outings for the St Matthew Passion, and this seems appropriate since the John is a passion of love and reconcilement.

The Leeds Philharmonic Chorus has been around since 1870, and it is now based at the Leeds Conservatoire. It’s stronger on sopranos and altos than tenors and basses, but Joseph Judge, its conductor and Chorus Master, manages to elicit a very homogenous sound from its numbers. ‘O grosse Lieb’ concluded with a finely phrased ‘Und du must leiden’ (and you must suffer) and ‘Wer hat dich so geschlagen’ demonstrated the kind of fine control which comes from intensive preparation. The wonderful closing chorale showed the Chorus at its best, ‘Mein Heiland und Genaden thron’ (My saviour and throne of mercy!) ringing out with declamatory ease.

The soloists were a youthful team, with the strongest performances coming from the bass James Berry and the soprano Isla MacEwan. The former’s distinctive bass, sonorous in the lower register yet mellifluous higher up the stave, brought his arias to dramatic life, with an especially gripping ‘Betrachte, meine Seel’. The soprano has a very bright, flexible voice, strong in ensemble and fluent in her arias; ‘Ich folge dir gleichfalls’ was sung with real distinction. Both these artists are members of the Royal Danish Opera.

“The wonderful closing chorale showed the Chorus at its best…”

William Balkwill’s voice is on the light side for the Evangelist but he made the most of his recitatives, giving suitable emphasis to the key moments such as ‘Als nun Jesus wusste alles, was ihn begegnen sollte‘ (As Jesus knew everything that was to happen to him). Jonny Hill was a calm, benevolent Christus, and Julianne Coates brought her considerable experience to the alto part, her ‘Es ist Vollbracht!’ one of the evening’s highlights. The punishing tenor arias are not easy for anyone, and the young Henry Strutt gave them a creditable performance.

The players of the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra took a little while to get into their stride, but under the sympathetic baton of Joseph Judge, they produced some gently supportive playing for the arias and some superb continuo and accompaniment for the recitatives. Special mention must be made of the flute in ‘Ich folge dir gleichfalls’, the Viola d’amore in ‘Betrachte, meine Seel’ and the violins in ‘Mein teurer Heiland’. The playing in those arias would grace any concert hall.

St Edmund is the patron saint of, amongst other things, those affected by Plagues and Pandemics, and the church consecrated in his honour is a handsome Edwardian edifice. The acoustic is ideal for large scale performances yet does not diminish the more intimate moments.

Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, St Edmunds Roundhay, Saturday 16th November 2024:

Leeds Philharmonic Chorus programme, conducted by David Hill MBE.

The evening opened with Eternal Light: A requiem by Howard Goodall CBE and was completed with Feel the Spirit by John Rutter CBE. Accompanied by Organ, Piano and Harp.

From our Mezzo soloist Merel Megali Cox: ‘The choir sounded absolutely amazing – such a beautiful sound you create all together! I think the whole programme worked very well (many audience members thought this too). I would appreciate if you can pass this message on to the LPC members & team, Joe and David Hill: Many thanks for the lovely concert and support on the day and in the past few weeks. I really enjoyed singing with LPC and want to thank them for introducing me to these Rutter pieces, because how fun and beautiful are they? ! I hope to do them again soon! Once again, I had such fun working with you all.’
Merel
From David Hill: “Please pass on my huge thanks and ‘bravo’ to everyone for their efforts. What a super venue!”

Bradford Cathedral – 4^th March 2023

Premiere of Organ and Percussion Arrangement.

I should be grateful if you would pass on my thanks to the members of the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus for giving such a superb concert on the 4^th of March and for including my music in it! What an innovative programme – full of colour and imagination.

I admire the bravery of Joe Judge and the choir for including my Secular Requiem, a virtually unknown work. I was absolutely delighted with the performance and Joe Judge‘s interpretation of the piece. Choir, soloists and instrumentalists rose to the challenges in each of the three pieces and enthusiastically ‘sold’ them to the audience. Your choir is indeed fortunate to have such an inspiring leader as Joe.

I would also like to thank the members of the choir for being so friendly and welcoming during my stay – Leeds Philharmonic Chorus seem to be a very happy community who work together to produce high quality results.

Bradford is a long way from Truro, but I hope that we might collaborate again in the future.

Wishing you every success for future concerts.

Russell Pascoe, composer

Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, Bradford Cathedral, Saturday 4th March 2023:

Two of the three composers in this bold Leeds Philharmonic Chorus programme, conducted by Joseph Judge, are happily still with us.

The evening opened with music by Leonard Bernstein whose iconic legacy as conductor, composer and humanitarian lives on. Bernstein’s exuberant Chichester Psalms is his most overtly Jewish work. The psalms were sung in Hebrew and articulated with relish by ‘the Phil’ under the masterly baton of their chorus master Joseph Judge. Beautifully nuanced accompaniment was supplied by harpist Georgina Wells, percussionist Mark Concar and Neil Taylor on the organ of Bradford Cathedral. Cathedral Choir member Rhys Smouse was the plaintive boy treble in the ‘Song of David’.

Next came Eric Whitacre’s Cloudburst, composed in 1991 – the year after Bernstein’s death. This work is scored for eight-part choir with piano and percussion accompaniment. The text was adapted from the Octavio Praz poem El cantaro roto (the Broken Water Jar) and inspired by the composer’s experience of a desert cloudburst. Roger Lazenby’s handbells team contribute to the sonic effects as the choir builds to a crescendo and imitates the sound of rain. The timpani produce the effect of a thunder storm which gradually fades away. Joseph Judge and the Phil surmounted the technical demands with seeming ease to deliver a fluid and vital performance.

Russell Pascoe’s Secular Requiem was premiered in its orchestral version at Truro Cathedral in March 2013. The Catholic Latin Requiem Mass is replaced by texts from Wilfred Owen, Thomas Hardy, Dylan Thomas, Thomas Moore and Walt Whitman among others. The work is intended to be inclusive and accessible to those with or without a religious faith. Stephen Anderton’s humorous poem Cats and Cakes, sung by the mezzo soprano soloist, contains the plea: “Oh God! I should have said – they’re in the oven. The cakes, the cakes! And don’t forget to feed the cat”. The fifty-minute-long Secular Requiem is powerfully expressive and easy to relate to. It is an inspiring work which brings solace and hope.

Mezzo Julianne Coates and baritone Graham McCusker were the eloquent soloists with Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Joseph Judge.

The composer himself basked in the applause at the end of this illuminating Bradford performance, the first to be given in his reduced orchestration for organ and percussion.

Geoffrey Mogridge
Ilkley Gazette, Wharfdale Observer

Leeds Cathedral, Saturday 26th November 2022:

John Rutter’s Requiem (1985) and Gabriel Fauré’s, composed almost a century earlier, could be said to form a concert pairing made in heaven.

Each work lasts around thirty-five minutes and is scored for soprano and baritone soloists, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra. Fauré and Rutter focus on the true meaning of the word ‘requiem’ or ‘rest’. Both works convey serene resignation and a sense of release. The music is predominantly soothing and reassuring. Neither composer sets the sometimes terrifying depiction – Verdi’s for example – of the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath).

Rutter made his work accessible to smaller choral societies lacking the finance or venue for a full orchestra. He arranged an alternative off-the-peg version with chamber ensemble accompaniment. Fauré’s Requiem, on the other hand, exists in several liturgical and concert arrangements, devised by the composer himself and later scholars. These include John Rutter who published his own edition of the Fauré Requiem less than two years before composing his own.

Last Saturday’s performances of these two beautiful works were given by eighty members of the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus. They were accompanied on the organ of Leeds Cathedral, played by Thomas Leech, and a chamber ensemble comprising oboe, flute, violin, cello, glockenspiel, harp and timpani.

This downsized orchestration proved admirably suited to the space. Instrumental and vocal textures were wonderfully bathed in Leeds Cathedral’s resonant acoustic. David Hill, music director of Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, achieved consummate balance. The bloom of each instrument and the eighty choristers all came across as individual voices; a quality generally lacking in larger scale performances. Soprano Rachel Speirs and baritone David Cane were the expressive soloists.

Perhaps above all, the sincerity of these performers shone through their interpretations of two universally popular requiems. Both composers reached the heart of the listener with the humanity of their message and the richness of their choral writing.

Geoffrey Mogridge
Ilkley Gazette, Wharfdale Observer

Bradford Cathedral, Saturday 25 March 2022:

Conductor: Joe Judge
Soloists: Rachel Speirs & Graham McCusker
Piano: Chris Pulleyn and Philip Voldman
Harp: Georgina Wells
Timpani: Mark Concar

“Brahms German Requiem is indeed magnificent, and your outstanding performance was both intimate and majestic, tender and jubilant, just what is needed in these dark days that compel compassion, but also a firm confidence and hope for the people of Ukraine. Thank you for inviting me; I would otherwise have missed a most uplifting experience.”

Audience Feedback

Leeds Town Hall, Sunday 31 October 2021:

Orchestra of Opera North
Conductor: Garry Walker
Soloists: Sophie Bevan & Claudia Huckle

The Cathedral-like ambience of Leeds Town Hall has, on numerous occasions since the 1950s, provided an unforgettable setting for Gustav Mahler’s colossal ‘Resurrection’ Symphony No 2 in C minor.

This is Mahler at his most benign – and his most terrifying. Dreamlike moments of spiritual tenderness alternate with passages of cataclysmic force. A tense opening movement contains some of Mahler’s most dramatic writing for the orchestral strings. His explosive envision of the apocalypse is arguably unmatched in the orchestral repertoire. The Austro-Bohemian composer’s vast instrumental canvas is produced by a huge string section; two harps, quadruple flutes, oboes, and bassoons. Ten each of horns and trumpets, two tam-tams, two sets of timpani, two bass drums and several snare drums. Plus three deep-untuned bells, glockenspiel, and the valedictory notes of the mighty organ prior to the Town Hall’s major refurbishment.

The Finale’s monumental setting of Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock’s Resurrection Hymn, Die Auferstehung, specifies both a soprano and mezzo-soprano soloists – on this occasion the excellent Sophie Bevan and Claudia Huckle – plus a four-part chorus. Last Sunday’s contingent stacked up behind an enlarged Orchestra of Opera North amounted to over 200 voices drawn from the Opera North Chorus, Leeds Festival Chorus and Leeds Philharmonic Chorus.

The stupendous choral finale of the eighty-minute long symphony culminates in transcendent E flat major chords for full orchestra, organ, and chiming bells. No wonder the ‘Resurrection’ Symphony has achieved an almost cult status.

Opera North music director Garry Walker at the helm of the massed forces, revealed his absolute mastery of the architecture of this great work. The tension-laden attack of cellos and double basses in the epic opening movement had me on the edge of my seat. Mahler’s vision of the apocalypse erupted with blistering force; choirs, orchestra and organ were beautifully integrated in the exultant resurrection hymn. The tender moments too left an indelible impression. None more so than mezzo soloist Claudia Huckle, at her most consoling in the fourth movement’s O Röschen rot! – O Little Red Rose – from Mahler’s Das Knaben Wunderhorn.

Thunderous applause from a near-capacity audience greeted a performance destined to linger in the memory.

Wharfdale Observer
Reviewed by Geoffrey Mogridge, 3 November 2021

Leeds Town Hall, Sunday 31 October 2021:

Orchestra of Opera North
Conductor: Garry Walker
Soloists: Sophie Bevan & Claudia Huckle

The performance spaces in Leeds seem to be taking it in turns to close for refurbishment. Now it’s the turn of the Town Hall. For the last orchestral concert for two years an early evening Sunday performance provided an overwhelming finale.

Mahler’s Symphony No 2 (Resurrection) is a massive work in every way. It lasts for some 85 minutes, a complete concert in itself, but more than that it calls for massive forces: ten trumpets, for instance, six on stage, four off, eleven horns, again four of them offstage, two soloists and vocal forces such that the Chorus of Opera North, Leeds Festival Chorus and Leeds Philharmonic Chorus were all ranged up behind the mightily augmented orchestra. And the subject, from the ultimate existential question at the time of death through to the Day of Judgement and resurrection, could not be vaster.

The performance by the Orchestra of Opera North was by turn thrilling, terrifying and uplifting. Garry Walker, the Music Director of Opera North, seems to have inherited from his distinguished predecessor, Richard Farnes, the ability to marshal huge forces with minimum fuss, to express great emotional intensity while keeping a precise grasp of detail.

The Resurrection Symphony is bookended by two enormous movements, maybe 30 minutes each, which butt their heads against the problems of existence, separated by three varied movements of lesser intensity. The first movement is essentially a funeral march, alternating with more lyrical passages and punctuated by ever more terrifying climaxes. As so often in this symphony, it’s the brass and percussion that grab the attention, but it’s the menacing solemnity of the lower strings in the opening bars that sets the tone.

Rather than follow sonata form or a theme-and-variations pattern, Mahler seems to pursue what is almost a dramatic scenario, switching from one scene to another, contrasting one mood with another. Walker led the orchestra expertly through the serene Landler of the second movement, its fragmentary phrases precisely articulated, the swirling patterns of the Scherzo and the beguiling song, O Roschen rot, from Das Knaben Wunderhorn, sung by Claudia Huckle with appropriate purity of tone, supported by the reassuring warmth of a brass chorale, the brass on a brief respite from terrifying the life out of any listener.

And then violent brass and percussion outbursts outdo each other until we come to the drum roll of which Mahler said, “Just listen…and your hair will stand on end!” – this reviewer can vouch for the literal truth of that! After the Last Trump brass and percussion rumble away offstage while a flute picks up a nightingale’s song and eventually the two soloists (in this case, the soprano was the excellent Sophie Bevan), choirs and orchestra draw the listener to God.

Whether the listener actually accepts Mahler’s words on the divinity, in a performance of such committed intensity, the Resurrection Symphony is an inspiring experience.

The Reviews Hub
Reviewed by Ron Simpson, 31 October 2021

Leeds Town Hall, Saturday 29th February 2020:

The lavish orchestral and choral forces assembled for this enjoyable programme of Broadway musical theatre and opera were led with tremendous aplomb by John Anderson, the Airedale Symphony Orchestra’s permanent conductor since 1989.

Jerome Kern’s 1920s musical showboat ignited an electrifying evening. A medley of ‘hits’ contained within the Overture led into Ol’ Man River, pensively sung by baritone Neil Balfour and the Chorus. The Promise of Living from Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land was performed with blazing fervour by the chorus and ASO. Copeland, who was dubbed ‘The Dean of American composers’, unforgettably conducted a Suite from The Tender Land in this very hall back in October 1976.

Leeds Philharmonic Chorus Master Joseph Judge then directed his unaccompanied choir in a finely nuanced performance of Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei. Next came Marietta’s sublime aria from Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City). This was sung with a gorgeous sense of line by soprano Sarah Power.

Composer Randall Thompson was represented by Choose Something Like a Star, from his Suite of Seven Country Songs for chorus and orchestra. Gershwin’s meandering jazz infused rhapsody An American in Paris showcased the full orchestral panoply – including a battery of percussion, five saxophones, and a trio of car horns! Part One ended with Make Our Garden Grow, the gloriously uplifting orchestral and choral finale from Bernstein’s operetta Candide.

Robert Russell Bennett’s forty minute-long concert arrangement of Gerswin’s folk opera Porgy and Bess filled Leeds Town Hall with light and colour. Familiar numbers like Summertime – ravishingly sung by Sarah Power; I Got Plenty of Nothing – a soft-grained performance from Neil Balfour, and Bess You is My Woman Now, were all featured. The casually dressed Leeds Philharmonic Chorus injected life and swaying movement into the big choruses like Gone, Gone, Gone; Overflow, I Ain’t Got No Shame, and The Promise’ Lan’. The stupendous finale Lawd, I’m On My Way was encored. Astonishingly, this was a first Leeds performance of Porgy and Bess. Surely, a fully staged production from our own trailblazing Opera North is long overdue.

Geoffrey Mogridge
Ilkley Gazette, Wharfdale Observer

Leeds Town Hall, 29th February 2020:

This delightful and entertaining concert at Leeds Town Hall begins with Kern’s lively Overture for Showboat. It skilfully takes the themes of the show (largely romantic) and threads them in an alluring medley. Already the Airedale Symphony Orchestra are proving their high status. This is followed by another Showboat excerpt, namely Ol’ Man River featuring baritone Neil Balfour and the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus. While this is a splendid start, Balfour’s vocals do not manage to shine out above the orchestra as they clearly should.

The full chorus and orchestra really pull all their weight for Aaron Copeland’s The Promise of Livingfrom the 1954 opera The Tender Land. For this the chorus really shine brightly and carry the uplifting themes exquisitely. But for me the highlight of the show has to be Agnus Dei, the choral adaptation of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Rarely performed in this form Leeds Phil really prove their worth with exquisite and exacting tone and pitch.

Then just when you think that the mood cannot get any higher on comes soprano Sarah Power. She is simply gorgeous with the soaring notes of Korngold’s Marietta’s Aria (from Die tote Stadt) held perfectly. The Chorus continue the beatific mood with Randall Thompson’s Choose something like a Star which is a poetic masterpiece.

A more sustained piece comes in the form of Gershwin’s wonderful An American in Paris. It comes replete with three saxophonists, solo trumpet and, yes, four car horns! It has a metropolitan feel throughout and can be tempestuous with pounding percussion, or softer with sublime strings. The multiple false endings really keeps the audience on their toes. And the end of the first half is Bernstein’s witty Make our Garden grow from Candide.

After the interval we have another Broadway smash, the Suite from South Pacific which the orchestra perform with great confidence and aplomb. But the real meat of the evening comes in the form of Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess in an arrangement by Robert Russell. Power belts out a sonorous Summertime with exquisite beauty, we are really hanging in her every word and blends perfectly with the orchestra.

Despite my earlier reservations about Balfour one has to admit his voice is a treasure, just not suited to the role. Leeds Phil really excel themselves in the second half with the ability to be both boldly brash and subtly subdued. There are just so many fabulous numbers we are really spoiled for choice to name the concert version’s peak. But I will plump for It ain’t necessarily so for the highlight, as much for its irreverent lyrics as the catchy tune.

A final note must go to the mastery of conductor John Anderson with a match made in heaven between Airedale Symphony Orchestra and Leeds Philharmonic Chorus that is simply a very fine feast for the ears.

Rich Jevons
RichJevonsBlog