Bach in the City Reviews

 The performance was very fine. The reconstruction of the Bach was interesting. The style of the newly compose music was inconsistent with that of Bach.

 Well organized! Would have been thrilled to see St Vincent de Paul filled with people eager to hear his music so many centuries later.

 St. Vincent de Paul is a glorious setting for this event.

 The church is such a wonderful setting for this choir. We now know the way there, plus enjoyed the easy parking. I will write more in the box below,. Ruth Woll

 Excellent in every respect - soloists, chorus, orchestra, conductor, repertoire. Beautiful venue and a well-run organization. World-class! Chicago is lucky to have them. Long may they thrive!

 Very good concert. Venue excellent The ushers, etc., were very friendly! Would have preferred the concerts to begin no later than 7:00 PM and 6:30 PM, even better. As we sometimes travel via public transit from home in Glenview An . earlier start is also better for seniors. Finally earlier start and pre-lecture would be ideal next year?

 Beautiful venue and perfect for a piece like this.

 It was a wonderful event, so well curated, great performers in a beautiful setting. Thank you

 Excellent music presented by amazing musicians

 Easy to get/use tickets. Very good program book. Needs better publicity - though there was a good-sized audience.

 The venue was beautiful, the musicians were stellar, and the music , heavenly.

 The parking qr did not work. I had to pay $19. The concert was beautifully prepared and performed. I found the contrast between the Webster and the Bach jarring.

 The performance was nothing short of exquisite! The additional music composed by Richard Webster was nothing short of stunning, and the whole production was so well crafted and dramatic that it really made the passion story come alive in a very new way - and that is hard to pull off 2,000 years after the original event! A special nod of appreciation to the soprano, Hannah de Priest, whose flawless voice shook the rafters of the church.

 Wonderful performance, and the new compositions were remarkably effective in creating the feeling of a Bach passion, even if the recitatives did not seem very Bachian themselves at times. Some embarrassing errors in the translations from German.

 The event shows that perfection still can be attained. It was engrossing, well-paced, with beautiful choral performances as well as by the individual singers. By the end I felt very moved . I am glad that we did not sing nr. 19, because that would have broken the atmosphere that enveloped us all.

 I thought this program was exquisitely performed, and clearly deeply thought out with a lot of attention to detail. Many congratulations to all. My one request would be, in the future, to provide more historical context for the program. The Passions contain deeply sensitive material. While they are performed frequently, their content—and the effects they have had on Jewish populations during Eastertide—is rarely addressed, and is often an elephant in the room.

 Amazing! Bach would be proud. All performers were outstanding. Bravo to Maestro Webster for this wonderful score and leading with such skill and sensitivity.

 Excellent vocal soloists and exceptional choral singing. First rate instrumental support. Maestro Webster had a vision of a more immediate Passion experience and brought it off persuasively.

 We loved the venue and the music was mesmerizing. The choir was beautiful, especially the soloists, in particular, David McFerrin (Jesus). We wished that the concert had started earlier, like 7:00 pm.

 I’d love to experience it again!

 Lovely chamber concert. Jason Moy is as talented as he is knowledgeable. Enjoyed it very much.

 Top drawer talent, beautiful venue and a great value in my opinion.

 With a small chamber orchestra and plucking harpsichords, beautiful and cavernous St. Vincent Depaul church was the wrong venue. You have so many concert rooms available at the Depaul Music School, there must be a better venue there so that we can enjoy the full sound. And if we need to feast our eyes on beautiful St. Vincent Depaul church, we can stop in and say a prayer on the way to hear what I know is an excellent group of musicians.

 A beautiful evening of sublime music

 Talented musicians, who obviously enjoyed the beautiful music they were making .

 A satisfying program, brilliantly performed in authentic style on period instruments.

 The beautiful music floated throughout the church. The soloists, trumpet and violin, were outstanding. The solo vocalist had a beautiful voice but should have been mic'ed.