The Church of England

On Sunday 8th April, Easter Day, more than a hundred choirs up and down the country will perform The People's Passion in a world première of a new choral work commissioned by the BBC. One of them will be Manchester Cathedral choir, whose performance will be transmitted live on Radio 4—the broadcast première. But in St Mary's we shall have the privilege of being part of the best première of all as our own choir leads Easter worship, their singing conducted by Sasha Johnson Manning, composer of 'The People's Passion'.

In a highly imaginative large-scale project, during the week leading up to Easter, Radio 4 will be focusing on cathedrals and their role in modern cities. Five hour-long plays, specially written by Nick Warburton, will be broadcast in the Afternoon Theatre slot. Set in a fictional cathedral, each one will focus on the life of someone who works there. As the characters go about their business in the cathedral, the music heard in snatches in the background will be the Easter Anthem and new settings of parts of Holy Communion—the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, which will be heard in their entirety on Easter Day.

As part of the BBC's commitment to get the nation singing, the words and music are available to download from their website. Choirs of all abilities and sizes have been invited to register their participation in this unique interactive project.

In composing the Easter Anthem and the settings of the Eucharist, Sasha has written music for new poems by Michael Symmons Roberts. She says, 'His words are fresh and new—they have real energy in them.' It is those words that have dictated the shape, the rhythms and even the key of the music. What matters to her is 'writing the right kind of music for these terrific words—music that might help people in worship'.

As Christians, we know that we are part of a worldwide communion whenever we worship together. This Easter, that sense of spiritual community will have an added dimension as we listen to the choir singing Sasha's music, knowing that in scores of other settings, from tiny chapels to soaring cathedrals, the same music is helping people to celebrate the victory over sin and death that is the resurrection.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/peoples-passion/

'The Passion' is the term used for the sufferings of Christ from the Last Supper to his death on the cross.'  KMP