Ellen Hargis soprano
Judith Malafronte alto
Aaron Sheehan tenor
William Sharp baritone
Joshua Copeland baritone

The great Passions of J. S. Bach remain unparalleled in their dramatic impact and universally experienced emotional effects. Bach took the genre to new worlds of expression, incorporating the Lutheran tradition of chorales with newer, Italianate operatic elements. The result is a powerful force of rhetoric that tells the Passion story reinforced by personalized illuminations of onlookers. Maestro Thomas, one of the Baroque music world’s most celebrated Evangelists, brings his unique and insightful perspectives to the podium in performances that are as gripping as they are beautiful.

Friday February 26 • 8:00 p.m.
St. Stephen’s Church, Belvedere

Saturday February 27 • 8:00 p.m.
First Congregational Church, Berkeley

Sunday February 28 • 7:00 p.m.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, S.F.

Monday March 1 • 8:00 p.m.
Davis Community Church, Davis

Free pre-concert lectures begin one hour prior to each performance.

READ THE PROGRAM NOTES