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Hong Kong Chamber Choir will join Hong Kong Soloists next month to perform J S Bach's "St John Passion".
Local vocalists Sam Lau (tenor); Rosaline Pi (soprano); Ray Chan (counter-tenor); Tam Yu-leung (tenor); Edmund Kwan (bass); Jimmy Chan (bass) and Patrick Chan (baritone) will participate in this great work under the baton of Michael Ryan at 8pm on Sunday, April 1, at the Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall.
"St John Passion" was first performed on Good Friday in 1724 and the work was revised many times during Bach's lifetime. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion with words from the Bible sung by the evangelist, while in between, non-biblical comments and meditation sung by choir and soloists with instrumental accompaniment are interpolated to add drama to the storyline.
The scene painting in "St John Passion" is almost operatic and is full of excitement, with the choir vividly depicting the soldiers, high priests and mob of Jews. In Bach's days, this work was probably performed by a small ensemble of no more than 16 singers and a small orchestra. The performance here tries to be as authentic as possible as the size goes, but of course with modern instruments.
Established in 1999, Hong Kong Chamber Choir aims at promoting and performing small scale and a cappella choral works. The choir believes that good solo vocalists should also be good ensemble singers and hence it places great emphasis on vocal (as individual) and choral (as chorister) technique.
About 20 local professional musicians and active performers of classical music formed the Hong Kong Soloists (HKS) in 1998. The group's mission is to offer high standard of performances in vocal repertoire, orchestral and concerto works, and to provide an active performance platform for local soloists.
"St John Passion" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Tickets priced at $60, $80 and $120 are now available at URBTIX outlets, while senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients may have 50% off (limited quotas for CSSA recipients on a first-come, first-served basis). A 10% discount applies to Friends of LCSD performing venues.
For enquiries about the programmes, call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. Ticketing enquiries and reservations can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Thursday, March 8, 2007
Issued at HKT 10:56
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