Seven Last Words of Christ by Haydn
arranged for four singers and string quartet

Palm Sunday Concert, April 2nd at 5 pm
At Richmond Congregational Church (20 Church St.)

With a Freewill donation for Our Community Cares Camp and the COTS Daystation Lunch Meal Program

Moments of great anguish, beauty, grief, and love emerge through seven slow movements, framed by an introduction and a final terrible movement titled "The Earthquake." The concert will be sung in German with English translation provided.

Since 1991, a small group of Vermont musicians has carried on a tradition of offering this piece, which commemorates Jesus' final hours. Joseph Haydn's hour-long work sets each of the traditional last sayings of Jesus to music. [Haydn composed the work in 1785, and its initial popularity as a string quartet led him to write subsequent versions for piano, chorus and orchestra. In 1990 the Juilliard String Quartet and four vocal soloists from the Metropolitan Opera recorded a pared-down version for just eight performers.

After hearing it, West Glover violinist Bert Francke decided to offer the Juilliard version to area churches on during Holy Week. 2023 marks the 30th year Vermont audiences have been treated to this powerful and tender work, after a pandemic hiatus.

This year The Octet will present two performances of Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ: On Sunday April 2nd at 5 pm at the Richmond Congregational Church, and on Good Friday, April 7th at 7 pm, at the Peacham Congregational Church.

The Octet singers are Martha Peck, Cara Hill , Paul Bishop and Jose Schmidt.
The string quartet features Susan Janes, Jane Tulloh, Jody Racht, and Melissa Perley.
The musicians hail from Berlin, Newport, Plainfield, Randolph, Huntington, and Essex.

May 10, 2024, 6 to 8 PM

May 11, 2024, 7 to 9 PM

May 16, 2024, 6:30 to 7:30 PM