Guests of the EU Centre for Global Affairs enjoyed a remarkable performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion on the evening of Saturday, 31 October.

The St Matthew Passion is monumental. There is simply no other word for it. Vast in scale, structure and vision, it demands everything from performers, conductor and audience alike. The physical and emotional effort of its production is enormous, and yet all over the world it is continually performed and revered. Bach himself considered the Matthäus passion one of his best works, in later life compiling it carefully in a beautifully-bound manuscript upon the finest paper he could find. “The great passion,” his family called it – and yet with all its artistic grandeur, it can be only a miniature of the greater Passion which inspired it.

The performance starred acclaimed tenor Richard Butler as the Evangelist, bass Lachlan Scott as Jesus, soloists from the Elder Conservatorium vocal school along with the Conservatorium Chorale and Symphony Orchestra. The performance was conducted by Keith Crellin, OAM who is head of the String Department and conductor in residence at the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide.

A wonderful night that was enjoyed by all who attended.