The world premiere of The Passion sung and spoken in Scots was a sell-out success in Dalry Parish Church on Easter Saturday.
A Tale o’ Guid Friday and Ayont, the work of New Galloway man Geoff Davidson, was performed by the men and women of Glenkens Parish Choir.
Mr Davidson based the concert on Lorimer’s The New Testament in Scots and the music of JS Bach.
The baritone, who performed internationally with the BBC Singers and the Monteverdi Choir, had originally planned to stage the work with Kirkcudbright Choral Society early in 2020.
But the first pandemic lockdown silenced the show – leaving Dalry church to host the premiere more than three years later.
Mr Davidson, 74, said a capacity audience of more than 150 people enjoyed “a dramatic and thrilling performance”. He said: “The new choral work featured the Glenkens Parish Choir with church members taking the spoken roles of Pontius Pilate, the high priest Caiaphas and choir members reading Peter, Judas and Doubting Thomas.
“Robert Lind’s beautiful baritone complemented the role of Jesus with impressive authority and there were high points of emotion as the Christ was bereft of accompaniment at his death but triumphant in his victory following the resurrection.
“Nicola Junor used her beautiful soprano to highlight responses to the various events and, as Mary Magdalene, brought her stunning interpretative power to a gripping climax as she met Jesus in the Garden at the entrance to the tomb. The power and tension of the trial before Pilate was clearly defined and the anger of the baying mob brought magnificently to life.”
“The final uplifting choruses to each part were gloriously delivered by the Glenkens choir, punching well above their usual weight and treating us to a concert that will live long in the memory. Financial donations from the audience amounted to a few pounds short of £1,000 and this will be sent to the Abba’s Rest Orphanage in Malawi.”
