Bach's St Matthew Passion, Milton Court

It’s hard for us today to comprehend that Bach’s St Matthew Passion – a major monument in the landscape of western art – lay unnoticed for more than 100 years after it was written. It took a fellow Leipzig musician to bring it out of obscurity – none other than Felix Mendelssohn.

Mendelssohn’s father had a substantial archive of JS Bach’s works and the young Felix set about revising and arranging the double-choir Passion for performance, conducting his version in Berlin for the first time in March, 1829.

The BBC Singers revive Mendelssohn’s arrangement when they sing the work in the sonorous and small-scale Milton Court. Peter Dijkstra conducts, with tenor Nicholas Mulroy as the Evangelist and bass Brindley Sherratt as Christus.

Mulroy has had much acclaim for his Bach interpretations, with Fiona Maddocks of the Observer noting: “Nicholas Mulroy is now an Evangelist of choice, dramatic yet never over-involved, engaged reporter rather than partisan witness.”

Sherratt is a favourite with opera and concert audiences worldwide, renowned for his performances of Bach. In September 2017 he raises the curtain on the English National Opera year in Verdi's Aida.

The period instruments of St James’ Baroque will add a tangy zest to Bach (and Mendelssohn’s) stunning score.

Early booking is recommended. So enduring is its appeal, every performance in London of the St Matthew Passion sells out fast...