NSOI: Music for Good Friday Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gerhard Markson conductor
National Symphony Chorus Ireland
David Young director
Cór na Óg
Mary Almond O’Brien director
Gwilym Bowen tenor (Evangelist)    
Anna Devin soprano     
Jess Dandy contralto
Milan Siljanov bass (Christus)
Simon Shibambu bass 

J.S. Bach St Matthew Passion 

Betrayal, judgment, and death; Bach’s St. Matthew Passion recounts the final days of Christ as told in the Gospel of Matthew. Widely regarded as one of the greatest works in Western music and a pinnacle of the Baroque era, it has been described as “a monumental achievement of spiritual and artistic expression” by The New York Times.

Thought to have been premiered on Good Friday 1727, this sacred oratorio offers a powerful and deeply moving musical meditation on Christ’s crucifixion. With its dramatic storytelling, expressive arias, and majestic choruses, the work captures the profound emotional and spiritual depth of the Passion narrative.

Featuring leading soloists alongside National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, under the baton of the esteemed Gerhard Markson, this performance offers a rare opportunity to experience Bach’s extraordinary masterpiece live this Good Friday, in all its emotional intensity and dramatic power.

Presented by NCH