Bach's St. John Passion, considered one of the masterpieces of Western music, will be performed on April 26 under the baton of Choral Director Catharine Melhorn. The combined Glee Clubs of MHC and Cornell University will be accompanied by the Arcadia Players.
Vocal soloists will include internationally acclaimed soprano Lucy Shelton, mezzo Jane Dutton of the Metropolitan Opera, Boston-area bass Robert Honeysucker, and tenor (and MHC Lecturer in Music) Christopher Aspaas. Several unusual, authentic baroque instruments--such as the oboe da caccia, the oboe d'amore, and the lute--will be featured.
An oratorio of some two hours' duration, the St. John Passion includes some of music's most ravishingly beautiful arias, monumental and dramatic choruses, and stately chorales, says Melhorn. But modern performances of the work are controversial because of text passages from a gospel marked by vehement anti-Judaic sentiments. For this reason, a symposium earlier this month invited the campus community to consider troubling issues raised by the work. There will also be a "talk-back" session in Williston Library following the concert, where the audience can share reactions to the work.
For tickets, call x2306.
![[Index]](../index3.gif){kind=small}