Rehearsals are in full swing for a special Easter performance by Nantwich Choral Society.
The 100-strong society will present JS Bach’s St John Passion in St Mary’s Church at 7.30pm on Saturday, March 19.
Highly-acclaimed British tenor, Rogers Covey-Crump, will join them as the narrating Evangelist – a part for which he is internationally renowned.
A professional orchestra, Nantwich Sinfonia, has been created for the evening with top musicians drawn from Cheshire and Shropshire.
Choral Society spokeswoman Elizabeth Lea said: “We stage regular concerts at St Mary’s, the last was at Christmas when there was a packed church.
“However, our last Easter performance was two years ago at Chester Cathedral when we performed St Matthew Passion.
“Costs of staging such major productions are limiting but we felt the time was right to return to Nantwich with another masterpiece from JS Bach.”
Baritone Peter Edge, an undergraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, will perform as Christus.
Peter, from Whitchurch, is a Llangollen Eisteddfod award-winner who has sung at famous venues including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and St Mark’s in Venice.
James Hall, also baritone, will be Pilate. James, a former chorister at Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford, sings countrywide when not working as a chartered surveyor in Cheshire.
Other well-known names are Natalie Clifton-Griffith, soprano, Harriet Goodwin, mezzo soprano, Tim Kennedy, tenor and Jonathan Hyde, bass.
Elizabeth added: “We have an amazing line up of soprano, tenor and bass singers joining us for this concert during Holy Week.
“A wonderful way to celebrate the true meaning of Easter.”
Music director John Naylor will conduct the choir with St Mary’s Church organist Simon Russell as accompanist.
The Sinfonia will be led by Nantwich-based Alison Loram.
Tickets are available from St Mary’s Church shop, the Civic Hall in Nantwich, on the door and online at WGotTickets.com.
They are £12.50 for adults and £5 for students.
For more information visit www.nantwichchoral.com
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