ENGSLV

Stephen Layton MBE

Collaborations

Bach: St John Passion

Recording session, All Hallows, Gospel Oak, London, April 2012.
Recording session, All Hallows, Gospel Oak, London, April 2012.

For more than thirty years, Stephen Layton's performances of Bach's St John Passion with Polyphony have been closely associated with Good Friday at St John's Smith Square, London.

Beginning in 1995, the concerts brought together Polyphony, leading period-instrument orchestras and successive generations of distinguished soloists. The performances became a longstanding feature of London's Easter musical calendar, with further performances in Europe and elsewhere.

In April 2012, Polyphony and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment recorded the work for Hyperion Records at All Hallows, Gospel Oak, London. The recording was released in March 2013, with Ian Bostridge as the Evangelist and Neal Davies as Christus.

The project brings together the recording, film, critical reception and a chronological record of Polyphony's performances from 1995 onwards.

The Hyperion recording

Recording in Stephen Layton's archive
Hyperion Records — album and recording information
Digital booklet (PDF)

Polyphony and the St John Passion, 1995–2026

Polyphony's performances of Bach's St John Passion, conducted by Stephen Layton, have been associated with St John's Smith Square for more than three decades.

The chronology below brings together the performances documented in the Concert Archive, including the orchestras and the soloists named in the surviving records.

1995–1999

  1. 14 April 1995Polyphony and Orchestra of PolyphonySoloists: Nigel Robson, Stephen Gadd, Catherine Bott, Sarah Connolly, Mark Milhofer, Peter Harvey, Gavin Garr.
  2. 5 April 1996Good Friday — Polyphony and Brandenburg ConsortSoloists: Ian Bostridge, Catherine Bott, Catherine Denley, Joseph Cornwell, Colin Campbell, Thomas Guthrie.
  3. 28 March 1997Polyphony and Brandenburg ConsortSoloists: Ian Bostridge, Catherine Bott, James Bowman, Mark Padmore, Colin Campbell, David Wilson-Johnson.
  4. 10 April 1998Polyphony and CanzonaSoloists: Ian Bostridge, Catherine Bott, James Bowman, Paul Agnew, Thomas Guthrie, Robert Rice.
  5. 2 April 1999Polyphony and CanzonaSoloists: John Mark Ainsley, David Wilson-Johnson, Emma Kirkby, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, James Gilchrist, Neal Davies.

2000–2009

  1. 21 April 2000Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists recorded: Mark Padmore, Neal Davies, James Bowman.
  2. 13 April 2001Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Emma Bell, Robin Blaze, Mark Milhofer, Michael George, Andrew Foster-Williams, James Gilchrist.
  3. 29 March 2002Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: Mark Padmore, Paul Whelan, Gillian Keith, James Bowman, Finnur Bjarnason, Andrew Foster-Williams.
  4. 18 April 2003Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists recorded: James Bowman, David Wilson-Johnson, Anders J. Dahlin, Paul Whelan.
  5. 9 April 2004Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists recorded: Gillian Keith, James Bowman, James Gilchrist, James Rutherford, David Wilson-Johnson.
  6. 25 March 2005Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Anders J. Dahlin, Stephen Roberts, Roderick Williams, Thomas Guthrie.
  7. 14 April 2006Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, James Gilchrist, James Rutherford, Roderick Williams, Thomas Guthrie.
  8. 6 April 2007Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: James Gilchrist, James Rutherford, Thomas Guthrie, Emma Kirkby, Iestyn Davies, Colin Campbell.
  9. 14 March 2008Barbican Centre, London — Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: Ian Bostridge, James Rutherford, Carolyn Sampson, Michael Chance, Roderick Williams.
  10. 10 April 2009Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: James Gilchrist, James Rutherford, Thomas Guthrie, Elin Manahan Thomas, Iestyn Davies, Lukas Jakobski.

2010–2019

  1. 2 April 2010Polyphony and Academy of Ancient MusicSoloists: Ian Bostridge (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Thomas Guthrie, Julia Doyle, Clint van der Linde, Nathan Vale, David Stout.
  2. 22 April 2011Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Andrew Kennedy, James Rutherford, Elin Manahan Thomas, Iestyn Davies, Nicholas Mulroy, Neal Davies.
  3. 6 April 2012Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Ian Bostridge, Neal Davies, Katy Watson, Iestyn Davies, Nicholas Mulroy, Roderick Williams.
  4. 29 March 2013Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Ian Bostridge, Neal Davies, Julia Doyle, Iestyn Davies, Nicholas Mulroy, Bob Davies.
  5. 18 April 2014Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Jeremy Ovenden (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Elin Manahan Thomas, Clare Wilkinson, Stuart Jackson, Bob Davies.
  6. 3 April 2015Polyphony and Orchestra of PolyphonySoloists: Stuart Jackson (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Elin Manahan Thomas, Terry Wey, Gwilym Bowen, Bob Davies.Orchestra leader: Maggie Faultless.
  7. 25 March 2016Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Stuart Jackson (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Julia Doyle, Iestyn Davies, Gwilym Bowen, Roderick Williams.
  8. 14 April 2017Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Nicholas Pritchard (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Julia Doyle, Iestyn Davies, Gwilym Bowen, Ashley Riches.
  9. 30 March 2018Polyphony and Britten SinfoniaSoloists: Nick Pritchard (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Julia Doyle, Helen Charlston, Hiroshi Amako, Ashley Riches.
  10. 19 April 2019Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Nick Pritchard (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Rowan Pierce, Helen Charlston, Ruairi Bowen, Ashley Riches.

2022–2026

  1. 15 April 2022Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Nick Pritchard (Evangelist), William Thomas (Christus), Rowan Pierce, Hugh Cutting, Ruairi Bowen, Ashley Riches.
  2. 7 April 2023Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Nick Pritchard (Evangelist), James Rutherford (Christus), Rowan Pierce, Helen Charlston, Ruairi Bowen, Ashley Riches.
  3. 29 March 2024Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: James Gilchrist (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Rowan Pierce, Iestyn Davies, Ruairi Bowen, Ashley Riches.
  4. 18 April 2025Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Ruairi Bowen (Evangelist), James Atkinson (Christus), Hilary Cronin, Iestyn Davies, Gwilym Bowen, Florian Störtz.
  5. 3 April 2026Polyphony and Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentSoloists: Ruairi Bowen (Evangelist), Neal Davies (Christus), Lydia Teuscher, Iestyn Davies, Archie Inns, James Atkinson.

Hyperion recording film

Bach: St John Passion — Polyphony, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Stephen Layton.
The film features the artists associated with the 2013 Hyperion recording.

Recording reviews

Other performances around the world

In addition to the regular London performances, Stephen Layton has conducted Bach's St John Passion with Polyphony and other ensembles in the UK, continental Europe and Australia.

Selected performances from the Concert Archive:

  1. 7 April 2007Snape Maltings, SuffolkPolyphony and Academy of Ancient Music
  2. 5–9 March 2008IrelandNational Chamber Choir of Ireland and Irish Chamber Orchestra:CorkLimerickDublin
  3. 25 March 2012Melbourne Recital Centre, AustraliaTrinity College Choir, Ludovico's Band and Consort of Melbourne
  4. 3 April 2012Theater an der Wien, ViennaPolyphony and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
  5. 27 March 2013Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, ParisPolyphony and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
  6. 23 April 2014deSingel, AntwerpPolyphony and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
  7. 23 March 2016ParisPolyphony and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
  8. 6 April 2019Hobart, TasmaniaTasmanian Symphony Orchestra
  9. 12 April 2019Adelaide, AustraliaAdelaide Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Singers
  10. 6 April 2024Melbourne, AustraliaMelbourne Symphony Orchestra

St John Passion — English National Opera, 2000 and 2002

Mark Padmore as the Evangelist, St John Passion, English National Opera, London Coliseum
Mark Padmore as the Evangelist, St John Passion, English National Opera, London Coliseum.

Deborah Warner’s staged production of Bach’s St John Passion was presented by English National Opera at the London Coliseum in April 2000, conducted by Stephen Layton, with the ENO Orchestra and Chorus.

The production used Neil Jenkins’s English version, with designs by Tom Pye and Jean Kalman. Mark Padmore sang the Evangelist and Paul Whelan sang Christ.

The production was revived in March 2002 and recorded by BBC Television for broadcast on Good Friday, 29 March 2002.

Performances — London Coliseum

2000: 5, 12, 14, 17, 18 and 22 April
2002: 15, 21, 23 and 26 March

Soloists and cast

Evangelist — Mark Padmore
Jesus — Paul Whelan
Pilate — David Kempster
Soprano — Natalie Christie (2000); Gillian Keith (2002)
Alto — Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Tenor — Barry Banks
Bass — Michael George (2000); James Rutherford (2002)
Peter — Leigh Melrose (2000); Leslie John Flanagan (2002)
Maid — Lyn Cook
Servant — Allan Adams
Officer — David Morris

Director: Deborah Warner
Conductor: Stephen Layton
English version: Neil Jenkins
Design: Tom Pye and Jean Kalman
Television: BBC Television, Good Friday, 29 March 2002.