An English Passion, a work based on St Matthew’s Gospel, will be performed at Ripon Cathedral on March 29 with several international participants.
Leslie Flannigan, Australian baritone, will be joined by Bertie Yates, a tenor coming from the Netherlands to play Jesus, with the performance conducted by American Dr Bryan White.
At the same time, the work, which was originally composed for and performed by the choir of Wells Cathedral a year ago, will strongly reflect its English roots.
It is set against the natural background of the countryside which produced it, with melodies for the congregational hymns being taken from the traditional English tunes published by Vaughan Williams in his English Hymnal of 1906.
The score, to be sung by the Clothworkers’ Consort from Leeds University, has been composed by Philip Wilby.
As the Emeritus Professor and Head of Composition, he will also play the organ.
There will be four solo voices representing Jesus, Peter, Judas and Pilate.
The arrangement of the words of the narrative from St Matthew’s Gospel is by Richard Cooper, Canon Emeritus of Ripon Cathedral, and a former chaplain to the Queen.
He has written the words to three of the congregational hymns and will lead the prayers at the performance in the cathedral.
The work will be performed at Ripon on Passion Sunday at 3.30pm and will be free.
The previous day it will be performed at Leeds Cathedral and the following weekend at Belfast Cathedral.
Philip Wilby’s ‘An English Passion’ is published by the Royal School of Church Music
Scores are available from the website: https://www.rscmshop.com/books/E0469/wilby-an-english-passion-according-to-matthew