To me, Bach’s St Matthew Passion stands alongside my other all-time favourite work…his Great Mass in B Minor. In both, Bach’s profound faith and extraordinary insight into human nature are evident in every bar. Calling it ‘genius’ barely does it justice, and although I have conducted the work more than 20 times, each rehearsal and performance still reveals something new. Just when I think I’ve mastered it,
another door seems to open. 2027 marks the 300th anniversary of this monumental masterpiece, and it would feel incomplete not to include it in our 25th year celebrations.
Christopher Monks
