Luther College presents 'St. John's Passion' as part of Inaugural weekend
Date 4/13/2000 12:00 AM | Topic: Arts & CultureChristopher M. Cock, lyric tenor and director of choral and vocal activities and professor of music at Valparaiso University, will appear as the Evangelist in the Sunday, April 16 performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John's Passion at the Luther College Center for Faith and Life.
The event is part of the college's inauguration weekend, celebrating the installation of Richard L. Torgerson as the ninth president of Luther.
Timothy Peter, Luther professor of music, will conduct St. John's Passion performance. The Luther Nordic Choir will sing the chorale and chorus dialogue and soloists' arias.
Cock teaches voice and conducting at Valparaiso and conducts two choirs, including the Valparaiso University Chorale. He was the featured tenor soloist for the 25th anniversary season of the Oregon Bach Festival, led by German conductor Helmuth Rilling, and he has sung with The Florida Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Miami Bach Society, the Seattle Chamber Singers, Orchestra Seattle and again with of the Oregon Bach Festival.
He has frequently appeared with Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. His performances with the Festival Singers can be heard on recordings released by Telarc International, including "Francis Poulenc: Mass and Motets," "Amazing Grace: American Hymns and Spirituals" and the Christmas music CD "Songs of Angels."
Cock studied at the University of Southern California and completed his undergraduate study at Pacific Lutheran University. He holds the doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Arizona. He has served three years as conductor of choirs for Lutheran Summer Music, the national Lutheran high school music camp.
The Passion, usually performed during Holy Week, is the story of Christ's suffering from his arrest to his crucifixion. The tradition of singing the Passion dates back to the Middle Ages when a soloist chanted the gospel and one or more voices represented the protagonists. The genre gradually expanded to include arias and chorales.
Bach's St. John's Passion was first performed on Good Friday 1723 or 1724 in Leipzig, Germany. Bach composed his cantatas and Passions for worship services, not concert performances, and so the Passions are divided into two parts, one preceding and one following the sermon. Bach's aim was vivid presentation of the Passion story, and his composition delivers its religious message with powerful dramatic effect.
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Michelle S. Kubitz
Chips Editor-In-Chief
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