Insightful direction and polished performances make for a fresh and memorable experience of a Bach masterpiece.
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
Reviewed on 3 April, 2026
by Sue Kaufmann on 7 April, 2026
On Good Friday, every seat in Melbourne’s Elisabeth Murdoch Hall is occupied for the Melbourne Bach Choir’s performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion.
Twenty years ago, conductor Rick Prakhoff, the late Richard Divall, and a group of determined choristers formed the Melbourne Bach Choir specifically to perform the St Matthew Passion.
This monumental work calls for three choirs, two orchestras, and seven soloists. Alongside tenor Andrew Goodwin (the Evangelist) and bass-baritone Adrian Tamburini (Jesus) at the front of the stage are Lorina Gore (soprano), Sally-Anne Russell (mezzo-soprano), Henry Choo (tenor) and bass-baritones Simon Meadows and Christopher Hillier.
Singers of the Yarra Voices during St Matthew Passion, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne.
Behind them, the Melbourne Baroque Orchestra, playing on period instruments, forms itself into two small orchestras in front of the two MBC choirs, while the Yarra Voices, a children’s choir, is seated in the balcony. The assembled forces give a thrilling performance of Bach’s extraordinary opening chorus, one of the highlights of this work.
The Evangelist’s narrative role is pivotal, and Goodwin’s performance is exceptional. He makes the recitatives sound both natural and musical. With his remarkably clear and flexible voice, Goodwin brings out the many nuances in Bach’s complex score. Tamburini’s portrayal of Jesus is equally compelling, his strong, dark voice perfectly suited to the role’s quiet dignity.
It would be impossible to list all the highlights in the arias – which provide commentary and respite from the drama – but they must include the tenor’s sorrowful reflections in Gethsemane and the soprano-alto duet following Jesus’ arrest; the soprano’s rhapsodic aria Out of love (Aus Liebe); the alto’s prayer (Erbarme dich) after Peter’s denial; and the bass’s plea (Mache dich, mein Herze, rein) after the earthquake.
The chorales also reflect on events, and Prakhoff ensures that each iteration responds to its context, making every rendition sound fresh and poignant.
Melbourne Bach Choir: St Matthew Passion
Prakhoff’s insightful direction also brings out the theatrical elements in Bach’s setting of the ‘crowd’ scenes. In Part II, for example, when Jesus is brought before Pilate, Hillier deftly conveys Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial, and the high priest’s intemperate judgment in the recitatives; and the interjections by the maids – Maya Charles Sedergreen and Tilly Dalton – feel realistic.
Meadows convincingly conveys Pilate’s indecision and eventual regret, and there is raw violence in the choir’s rendition of the mob’s call, “Let him be crucified.”
The Melbourne Baroque Orchestra, led by Tim Willis and Cameron Jamieson, gives a dynamic and highly polished performance, characterised by memorable violin, flute, double reed, and viola da gamba solos, and a sensitive continuo accompaniment.
The whole ensemble is to be congratulated on this deeply satisfying interpretation of Bach’s masterpiece.
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