GALA: BACH: ST JOHN PASSION 4 April 2014 (Fri) Esplanade Concert Hall Performing Home of the SSO LIM YAU conductor STEVE DAVISLIM tenor (Evangelist & arias) MARTIN SNELL baritone (Pilate & arias) JAN-HENDRIK ROOTERING bass-baritone (Christus) NADINE LEHNER soprano (Maid) LUCIA CERVONI mezzo-soprano REGINALD MATTHIAS JALLEH* tenor (Servant) TEO ENG SIANG# bass (Peter) SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHORUS HALLELUJA CHORUS NAFA CHAMBER CHOIR *member of NAFA Chamber Choir #member of Singapore Symphony Chorus JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH St John Passion, BWV.245 2hrs It has been several years since I last attended a ‘Historically Informed Performance’ (HIP) in Singapore and I was intrigued to see a chamber-sized string orchestra with theorbo (belonging to the lute family), viola da gambas (modern cello’s ancestor), organ and harpsichord with a near 100-strong chorus onstage during the recent Gala St John Passion Concert conducted by Lim Yau. I am sure somewhere, some (stuffy old) musicologist-purist, while acknowledging stylistically performed ornaments and melodic embellishments might have scoffed at this recent rendition of J.S. Bach’s St John Passion! Indeed, Bach had to score for smaller …