ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ: ᴛʀᴇᴠᴏʀ ꜱᴍɪᴛʜ

On 10th March David Stancliffe and the Bishop's Consort brought JS Bach's Matthäus-Passion to St. Oswald's, in German and using the original small choral forces.  The music in itself was spectacular, but the real surprise of the evening was how following the German words and their English translation blended with the music to make a deep spiritual impression.  One could never hope or expect that the very Son of God should take on the lethal burden of my own sin and shortcomings, and yet that is exactly what he has done, willingly and with love...

The sadly limping church heating obliged the orchestra to re-tune now and then, but even this made its mark: hearing Ach Golgatha, unselges Golgatha... (Golgotha, unhappy Golgotha! The Lord of glory must shamefully perish here) sung as the instruments gently drifted out of key was haunting.

The part of the Evangelist was sung by Chris Why, and Jesus by Ben Kazez.