7.45pm – Canterbury Cathedral Nave
Canterbury, Kent CT1 2EH
Soprano: Iwona Hossa
Baritone: Adam Kruszewski
Bass: Piotr Nowacki
Reciter: Jerzy Trela
Warsaw Boys Choir
Camerata Silesian
Polish Radio Choir Katowice
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki’s St. Luke Passion occupies a unique
place in the music of the Twentieth Century. It was written to
commemorate the seven hundredth anniversary of Munster Cathedral and
its premiere in 1966 coincided with the thousandth anniversary of
Christianity’s introduction into Poland. Few people could have
predicted the immense impact the work had on its audience, the
extraordinary critical acclaim it received and the palpable influence
it has continued to have on subsequent composers all over the world.
The model is Bach’s Passions and Penderecki also uses psalms and hymns
to further increase the spiritual and emotive depth. However, unlike
Bach, Penderecki employs vast forces, creating a sound world of
immeasurable emotive power.
This is the first time Penderecki’s masterpiece has been performed in
the UK in nearly thirty years. This performance, given by Poland’s
finest performers and conducted by the composer himself is a
once-in-a-lifetime event. The setting of Canterbury Cathedral only adds
to the extraordinary nature of this performance. A true ‘event’ of
national, indeed international significance.
Sounds New is grateful to the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Polish
Cultural Institute for their substantial financial support to ensure
this concert can happen.
