Photos: The UK Premiere of SEVEN LAST WORDS at The ENO

The English National Opera (ENO) presents a unique concert of Joseph Haydn's Seven Last Words on the Cross, and Joel Thompson's Seven Last Words of the Unarmed. This is the first time these two pieces have been performed together live in the UK.

Presented in a concert staging, Haydn's piece - based around the seven last words of Christ according to the Gospels - will open, followed by Thompson's contemporary choral work which responds to the unlawful killings of unarmed black men in the United States.

Seven Last Words on the Cross

In Haydn's piece, each of the seven movements forms a musical reflection on Jesus's last words before the crucifixion, as told by the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John.

Commissioned in 1786 for a Good Friday service at Cádiz Cathedral, Haydn adapted it in 1796 as an oratorio. At just over an hour long, this piece is the shortest of the four oratorios Haydn wrote in his career, and offers a measured and emotive reflection of the Disciples' stories of Christ's sacrifice in the Christian tradition.

Sung in English, four soloists are joined by the award-winning English National Opera Chorus, and 20 additional choristers.

Conducting the ENO's magnificent Orchestra in this reflective and emotive work is British choral conductor Andrew Nethsingha, making his ENO debut. A distinguished Choir Director and organist, he established a highly respected reputation at Gloucester Cathedral, and Truro Cathedral before joining St John's College, Cambridge as Director of Music in 2007. In his time at St John's College he has helped to set up their recording label producing highly acclaimed recordings, and has championed the addition of female singers to the Choir.

They are joined by a fine line-up of soloists.

The soprano in this piece is a current ENO Harewood Artist, British soprano Nardus Williams. She has previously 'fielded her rich soprano with great poise' (The Sunday Times) in ENO's broadcast of Handel's Messiah, broadcast on BBC Two at Easter 2021. She sings the role of Fiordiligi in ENO's upcoming production of Così fan tutte in March.

Seven Last Words of the Unarmed

Following a short interval is the performance of Thompson's Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.

American composer Joel Thompson uses the liturgical format and tradition of Haydn's piece as a departure for his choral work. Taking its name from the last words of seven unarmed black men unlawfully killed by law enforcement in the United States, it offers the composer's intimate response to racially motivated police brutality.

Containing seven movements, each quotes the last words of an unarmed black man, in a sobering meditation of both personal and collective grief.

Originally written for a male voice choir, American Conductor Kellen Gray, will conduct the expanded chorus in this orchestral arrangement of the 15 minute piece. Currently Assistant Conductor of both the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Charleston Symphony, Kellen makes his ENO debut. A versatile and imaginative conductor, he is equally enthusiastic about traditional and experimental musical programming. He has received praise for his engagements, including his debut with the Chicago Sinfonietta, where he worked with 'laser-like focus that allowed the entire orchestra to seem to become one organism' (Chicago Picture this Post). A staunch champion of music education, he serves as Music Director of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Nardus is joined by German mezzo-soprano Idunnu Münch. She is a current ENO Harewood Artist, and recently sang Siegrune in 2021's The Valkyrie. Idunnu received praise for her 'rich voiced' (Culture Whisper) Diana in 2019's Orpheus in the Underworld.

Joining them is American singer Soloman Howard singing the bass solo. 'Resplendent in voice' (Chicago Tribune), he made a much lauded ENO debut as Wurm in 2020's Luisa Miller and since then had continued to impress the opera world with 'superhuman' (The Denver Post) vocal performances at some of the world's major houses. He will join Frederick in The Handmaid's Tale at the ENO this April, singing The Commander.

Completing this stellar line-up of soloists is highly acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning American tenor Frederick Ballentine. With a hugely established career in the US, ENO audiences will remember him as the 'vibrant' (The New York Times) Sporting Life in 2019's Porgy & Bess (his ENO debut), a role he reprised at The Met in 2021. He makes a role debut as Nick in The Handmaid's Tale with the ENO this April.

The English National Opera's Seven Last Words is at the London Coliseum on Wednesday 13 April 2022 at 19.30.

Photo Credits: Lloyd Winters

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