Nicola Lisle previews Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ with the original speaking roles brought back

 

When Haydn wrote his instrumental setting of The Seven Last Words of Christ in 1787, it was intended to be performed with spoken reflections between each of the ten-minute movements.

These days it is usually performed without the reflections, but Sunday’s performance by string quartet Ensemble Settecento includes reflections by seven ordinands in a collaboration between SJE Arts and St Stephen’s House, Oxford University’s theological training college.

The project was the brainchild of Edmund Jones, Ensemble Settecento’s founder and first violinist, also known for setting up the Oxford Proms.

“Seven Last Words is Haydn’s take on the Passion,” he explains. “Originally the reflections were performed by the priest and the music was designed as a meditation on the reflections. It’s often performed without the reflections today, but I thought the reflections would be nice, particularly from seven different people studying for the priesthood at St Stephen’s. “I have done Seven Last Words before with the reflections, but it’s unusual to have it with seven different speakers. Sometimes you’ll have the reflections in the programme notes, but I certainly haven’t come across one like we’re doing where you have the comparison between the speakers. “It’s a devotional work but there is a certain competitive element in a sense that the audience will be listening to the different approaches and the different styles of speakers.”

The Seven Last Words of Christ is based on the final phrases of Christ on the Cross, drawn from the four Gospels. The last words have inspired settings by a number of composers over the centuries, notably Pergolesi, Gounod and Franck, but Haydn’s setting is probably the most famous.

“It’s fantastic music,” Edmund says. “It’s seven adagios, with an introduction and a presto finale, the Earthquake, fast so it gives a bit of relief to the players after the adagios.

“The seven short reflections break it up, so it makes it easier listening.”

The original reflections were written by a priest in Cadiz, Spain, who commissioned Haydn to write the music, but sadly no records survive. So the reflections at Sunday’s performance have been written by the seven theology students, under the direction of St Stephen’s House Vice-Principal, Father Damian Feeney.

“These are final-year ordinands, who will be ordained at the end of this year and going out doing their job,” Edmund explains. “We have one woman, Alice Whalley, who has a formidable background. She has a degree in astro-physics, an Oxford degree in theology, and she’s going to be ordained as a priest.

“The other six are men, some of them quite mature. They’ve come from a professional background and decided to go into ordination.

“The music lasts for about 60 minutes and each speaker will talk for no longer than five minutes to keep the concert to a reasonable length.”

Edmund looks forward to working at the church. “It’s a lovely venue and it’s got the right numbers. It’s out of the central tourist area, so you rely to a certain extent on local people. But they get good audiences, so we’ll see.”

 

 

Seven Last Words of Christ
 

  •  Church of St John the Evangelist, Iffley Road, Oxford
  •  Sunday November 3, 7.30pm
     
  •  Tickets: £15, students £8
     
  •  Call 01865 305305 or visit ticketsoxford.com