The Good Friday meditation, for which the Choir joined forces with the Elder Conservatorium Chorale and Orchestra, proved a great success. The Cathedral was filled to (safe) capacity, although there was some disappointment amongst those who arrived too late to secure a place; and after some earlier rearrangement that had rendered the Hartley Concert Room rehearsal positions somewhat redundant, the massed choir was able to fit on the risers and the nave platform behind the orchestra.
With the audience not only filling the nave pews, but also sitting in the gallery, to the sides and behind the choir, Carl raised his baton for the start of Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm in allen Landen herrlich ist! and we set off through the chorales, choruses, recitatives and arias of this remarkable work. Tricky entries were mastered and complicated fugues negotiated, despite seeming unattainable only weeks (or even days) earlier. Robbie Macfarlane took the Evangelist to new heights, with excellent performances from soloists Daniela Jedrzejczac, Lachlan Scott (as Jesus) and Tom Flint, complemented by soloists from the choir – Spencer Darby (as Pilate), Nicholas Coxhill (as Peter), Brooke Window, Fiona McArdle, Victoria Coxhill and Branko Lovrinov.
When we reached Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine, I think we all knew we had achieved something special in this last great chorus. Certainly, Carl did. He went and sat down immediately afterwards, while the choir and audience waited expectantly, and a little subtle murmuring ensued between Carl and Robbie. Finally, Carl returned to the podium to conduct us in the final chorale Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein, the audience respected the request to refrain from applause, and choir and orchestra filed quietly from the Cathedral.
We reconvened in the Cynthia Poulton Hall, where Carl addressed the musicians, thanked everyone for their various efforts – and admitted that he had been so overcome with the Ruht wohl that he had momentarily forgotten that he had another chorale to conduct!
.
What more can you ask than that the conductor is so impressed with the performance that he has to have a quick sit down?
