The Sounds Of Easter Ring Out In Sydenham

Apr 24, 2014

On Good Friday, members of three local church choirs, St. Paul’s United in Harrowsmith, Trinity United in Verona and St. Paul's Anglican in Sydenham, along with members of the choir of St. George’s Cathedral in Kingston, joined forces for a special Easter performance of the oratorio "The Crucifixion: A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer” at St. Paul's in Sydenham.

The concert was conducted by Brad Barbeau of St. Paul's, who also conducted the piece in 2012, and it was a performance to remember.

The piece was composed by Sir John Stainer with the libretto written by Rev. W.J. Sparrow-Simpson. The 35-member community choir was joined by soloists Phillip Rogers and Jared Buchmayer, who each performed beautifully in the roles of narrator and Jesus respectively. On the organ was Edward Norman, who did a wonderful and seamless job accompanying the singers on the church’s awe-inspiring pipe organ, and he rose to the challenge in this musical gem that spans so much musical and emotional ground in its re-telling of the Passion of Christ.

There were numerous highlights in the performance including the luminous voice of tenor Buchmayer, whose diction and pitch were both perfect, making the words, music and emotional depth of the piece come to life. Buchmayer's talents were equally met and enhanced by the talents of baritone Rodgers and by far some of the most memorable sections of the performance included their varied duets that offered up some of the most touching and delicate harmonies in the piece.

The male chorus did an exceptional job when backing up the two soloists, as did the choir, who also rose to the challenge with their four-part harmonies.

In their opening section, The Agony, they sang of Jesus' anguish very movingly and also later in the Procession to Calvary when they burst forth with their dramatic musical call to “Fling Wide The Gates” as Jesus proceeds with his cross on the walk to his crucifixion.

While the work is complex both musically and emotionally, it was able to include in it the hearts and minds of the many listeners who filled St. Paul's sanctuary by inspiring them to sing along with the well-known hymns that are interspersed within the work. This performance stood out because of the experience of the conductor and the singers, who seemed not only to have an in-depth understanding and mastery of the piece musically but because of that fact, were able to concentrate on its subtler emotional elements.

The performance made for a very special and memorable Easter and hopefully it will not be the last time that this popular piece of music is performed by so many dedicated and talented singers from across the local community. Many thanks to those who attended and made generous donations to the Southern Frontenac Community Services Food Bank.