Sheffield Bach Choir resumed rehearsals in January 2022, and are busy getting ready to present Bach’s fabulous St Matthew Passion in March.

‘We are now rehearsing more or less normally’ explained Chair Chris Walker ‘We are not having a break for refreshments so the rehearsal ends earlier than usual, and we have all the doors open so members have to wrap up a bit! But we are all thrilled to be singing again.’.

The choir is enjoying getting back to what it does best, and is very much looking forward to singing the St Matthew Passion in March. The work, composed in 1727 for soloists double choir and double orchestra, set St Matthew’s Gospel to music, with interspersed chorales and arias. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of Baroque sacred music.

The choir perform the work around the Easter period every three years, rotating Bach’s ‘Big Three’ – the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion, and the monumental Mass in B minor. The Passion forms an important part of the Easter liturgy for many audience members, not least because of the opportunity to join in with the meditative chorales, which are usefully printed in the programme..

The concert is on Saturday 5 March in Sheffield Cathedral, at the earlier-than-usual time of 6.30pm. Tickets cost just £16, or £13 for concessions, and free for under 12s accompanied by an adult.