Date/Time
Date(s) - March 27, 2026
7:30 pm - 8:45 pm
Location
St. James Anglican Church
Categories No Categories
Join the Vivaldi Chamber Choir, Ensemble Harmonia, and talented soloists, led by Edette Gagné, for a performance of Joseph Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross.
Originally composed for an orchestral performance during a Good Friday service in Cádiz, Spain in 1786, Haydn later adapted it in 1787 for string quartet, and in 1796, as an oratorio with soloists, choir, and orchestra.
The composition is structured around seven slow movements, each corresponding to one of Christ’s last statements, framed by an introduction and a concluding movement. Haydn uses calm tempi, expressive melodies, and subtle changes in harmony to encourage meditation rather than dramatic action.
The oratorio culminates in the Terremoto (Earthquake), a sudden and explosive finale that shatters the preceding stillness with all possible force. Unlike the meditative movements that come before, this final section utilises the full power of the choir and orchestra to depict the cosmic convulsion following the crucifixion. Listeners can expect an evening of profound reflection, witnessing a work that Haydn himself considered one of his greatest masterpieces.
Admission by donation, but for planning purposes please register to indicate your intention to attend.