Anglo - German Passion

Bach - St Matthew Passion - Southwark Cathedral. Thursday 3rd April 2025

I attended this performance of Bach's 'St Matthew Passion' for a number of reasons. The main one was that my son, Hugo Herman-Wilson, was singing Christus for the first time, so his mother and I were anxious to support him. Another reason was that the performance was being given by Trinity School Croydon, home of the internationally renowned Trinity Boys' Choir, and the brother institution to Whitgift School, where I spent my teaching career. The Schools are in the same Foundation and are traditionally, more or less friendly, rivals in the academic, sporting, dramtic and musical fields. In truth, as far as music is concerned, Trinity has always had the upper hand - 'Mumsnet' is very clear, 'if your son is sporty, send him to Whitgift, but if he's musical send him to Trinity.'. I spent my many years at Whitgift trying to refute this statement, which has long since become something of a truism, but alas in vain. To rub salt into the wound, Hugo H-W is now teaching singing at Trinity, even though he is an Old Whitgiftian. Still, enough of personal grievance, any occasion to hear one of the supreme artistic creations of western civilisation must be seized, so to Southwark Ms Herman and I went.

When we arrived it was welcome news to see that this was to be a joint concert with the Kieler Knabenchor, a Boys' Choir from Kiel in Germany, and it was exciting to see so many young people gathering on the tiered choir seating prior to commencement. A striking and welcome feature was that all the singers in the choir (apart from the Kiel director Jan-Hendrik Jensch and a very few Trinity staff) were school children, so there was no significant 'stiffening' from professionals. This resulted in a wonderfully fresh choral sound and while, inevitably, the tenor and bass voices were young and light, overall blend, articulation and tone were all exemplary. As might have been predicted, the treble line (boys and girs) was particularly superb.

From a singer's point of view it was appropriate and pleasing that the piece was conducted (very well) by Nicholas Mulroy, Trinity Boys' Choir director and eminent tenor - probably the finest Bach Evangelist of his generation - who was, in a sense, passing the baton to Sebastian Hill, already a young tenor with an established career, whose Evangelist was consummately controlled and profoundly moving - is he set to become the outstanding Bach Evangelist of his generation perhaps? The other professional singers, Katherine Fuge (soprano), Annie Gill (Mezzo) and Magnus Walker (Tenor) maintained the high standard set by Mr Hill and yes, although I do say so, Hugo Herman-Wilson was a fine Christus.

However, it was the school age soloists who were my main impetus to write this review. Singing Bach is hard at any age and it is particularly demanding for young broken voices: trebles, particularly boys, are generally too young to know quite how difficult what they are doing is. So it is that I offer heartfelt congratulations to Nadya Pickup (soprano), notably assured and effective in 'Blute Nur', Michael Mulroy (treble), very much a chip off his conductor and mezzo parents' old block, impressive in a demanding recit and aria, Alex Wright (teble), Xavier Karelis (alto), Josh Webb and Oliver Hull (tenors), Caspar Johnson, Leo Jemison, Ben Fletcher, and Sebastian Heltz (basses), and a special shout out to the diminutive treble Zandy Hull, very touching as the second maid-servant denouncing Peter when he attempts to deny his association with Christ. Finally, Herr Jan-Hendrik Jensch showed his young charges how to do it in his confident assumptions of Pontifex and Pilate.

Nick Mulroy paced the performance with sensitive control; tempi were appropriate to the venue and the performers. The Meridian Sinfonia impressed throughout, not least with some outstanding obligato playing. I have mentioned the chorus already but I make no apology for ending my review with them, for, in a school performance, the students should be centre stage. Two moments among many highlights deserve special mention: the magnificent open-throated tone at the end of number 58 with the mocking taunt to Jesus 'denn er hat gesagt: Ich bin Gottes Sohn' 'for he hath said, I am the Son of God', and the whole of the final magnificent chorus, sung as if all the young lives involved depended on it.