Passion

Composers: Paul Grabowsky, Alister Spence, Niko Schauble, Doug de Vries, John Rodgers
Musical Director: Paul Grabowsky
Premiere: Methodist Ladies College Music Auditorium, Melbourne, 1997

Program

Come Daughters (Paul Grabowsky)
Sweet Love (Archie Roach) 2005 program addition
No Justice (chorale) (Paul Grabowsky
Captive (Doug de Vries)
Love Me Once (chorale) (Paul Grabowsky)
For Love (Alister Spence)
Fire and Ice (chorale) (Paul Grabowsky)
Romantic Thing to Do (Ruby Hunter) 2005 program addition
Crucified (Niko Schauble)
Passion (chorale) (Paul Grabowsky)
Finale (John Rodgers)

Program Notes

Five movements from JS Bach's masterpiece Passion According to St Matthew were given to five composers from within the Australian Art Orchestra: Doug de Vries, Paul Grabowsky, John Rodgers, Niko Schauble and Alister Spence. Their task was not to arrange or adapt the original music, but to draw inspiration from it and to write new music that would address the same themes. The great St Matthew Passion of J.S. Bach covers the extremities of musical emotion in a depiction of the final days of Christ and the new compositions draw on the emotional nuances of the original while employing the language of contemporary music.

The linking Chorale passages were written by Paul Grabowsky and were originally performed by special guest, Christine Sullivan. In 2001, Deborah Conway sang the Chorale at the Sydney Festival and in 2005 Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach performed these parts alongside three new 'love songs' commissioned for the Festival de Mexico Centro Historico performances. Whilst remaining a cornerstone part of the AAO repertoire, Passion remains a constantly evolving program.

Tour History

1997 - Methodist Ladies College Music Auditorium, Melbourne
1998 - Adelaide Festival of the Arts
1999 - Melbourne Town Hall
2001 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival
2005 - Festival de Mexico Centro Historico, Mexico
2007 - Castlemaine State Festival
2008 - Artshouse, North Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne
2009 - Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre

Recording History

1999 - Passion, ABC Classics

Performance Artists

Bob Coassin / Scott Tinkler Trumpet
Eugene Ball Trumpet
Phillip Slater Trumpet
James Greening Trombone
Adrian Sherriff Trombone
Philip Rex / Tim Jones Tuba
Lachlan Davidson Reeds
Paul Cutlan Reeds
Julien Wilson / Jamie Oehlers Reeds
Sandy Evans Reeds
John Rodgers / Errki Veltheim Violin
Carl Dewhurst / Geoff Hughes / John Rodgers Guitar
Alister Spence Piano, Synthesisers, Samplers
Paul Grabowsky Piano
Gary Costello / Philip Rex Double Bass
Niko Schäuble Drums
Alex Pertout Percussion
Daryl Pratt / Vanessa Tomlinson Percussion

Collaborators: Christine Sullivan, guest vocals (1997)
Deborah Conway, guest vocals (2001)
Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach, guest vocals (2005-)
Duration: 1hr 10min
Interval : No

Press for Passion

Jazz's Great Passion

The Sydney Morning Herald  (John Clare)  26 July 1997

Power of the Passion - From Very Different Corners

The Australian   (Jeremy Vincent)  31 March 1997

Passionate Entry to a New Home

Sydney Morning Herald   (John Shand)  2005