POD Vocal Score-St. Mark Passion is a work by John Joubert for two Tenor and three Baritone soloists SATB Chorus Solo Cello and Organ. First performed in Wells Cathedral on Palm Sunday 20th March 2016 by Wells Cathedral Choir it was commissioned by 'Cathedral Commissions' of Wells Cathedral. A full performance lasts around 45 minutes and this is the Vocal Score. 'The work lasts about 45 minutes and rather like the St. Mark Passion by Charles Wood uses various pre-existant hymns to fulfill a similar function to the chorales in Bach's Passions. The scoring of solo Cello and Organ is skillfully handled so that the quasi-recitativenarrations feature both instruments to varying degrees the Cello often taking lead balancing the inevitably greater presence of the Organ in the hymns. Joubert's choice of hymns is impeccable (plainsong Bach Gibbons...) ending with 'When I survey the wondrous cross' and the idiom of the freely composed sections is given consistency through use of a gently undulating motif to accompany Christ's words (reminiscent of the opening of Vaughan William's Symphony no.5) and a chromatic motif in agitated sections (which happens to be the same as Shostakovich's DSCH theme). Although considerable demands are made on the instrumentalists and lead soloists the choral writing is rarely difficult and could be tackled by many choirs; I have no doubt that the work would be extremely effective in performance.' - Geoffrey Webber Choir & Organ Magazine
