Easter marks a moment in the Christian calendar that invites profound collective reflection. At its heart is the story of Jesus: his arrest, crucifixion, and — in Christian belief — his resurrection and return to life.
This moment in the Christian calendar has long been a source of inspiration for composers, as well as the reason for numerous commissions. Peppered throughout the history of Western classical music are much-loved scores that create a musical landscape of the pain, anguish, and transformation that underpins the end of Jesus’ life. It is then no surprise the role music plays in making connections at this contemplative moment in the calendar. Haydn’s Seven Last Words – a series of music meditations – is one which especially invites private reflection.
Commissioned in 1786 for the Good Friday service the following year at Oratorio de la Santa Cueva in Cadiz, the original score began life as musical interludes interspersed between each of the seven words spoken by Christ on the cross.
Music then as an opportunity for congregational reflection. A commission with specific requirements (each movement ten minutes long) played in a blacked out cathedral – a creative invitation that caused some concern for Joseph Haydn. “it was no easy task to compose seven adagios lasting ten minutes each, and to succeed one another without fatiguing the listeners; indeed, I found it quite impossible to confine myself to the appointed limits.”
First performed in 1787, the piece quickly made its way through Europe’s cultural capitals—Paris, Rome, Berlin, Vienna. That same year, the composer reworked it for string quartet and subsequently approved a solo piano version. Nearly a decade later, in 1796, he returned to it once more, this time transforming it into a full oratorio, complete with soloists and chorus. It’s this the Ulster Orchestra, soloists and chorus from Northern Ireland Opera will perform on Friday 18 April.
While the roots of the work lie firmly in Christian tradition, particularly around Easter, the work raises bigger questions. What might it say to listeners who don’t share that faith? Can its emotional force resonate beyond the sacred?
Each ‘word’ (excerpts from various gospels in the Bible) surfaces a thought-provoking secular equivalent.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
Jesus pleads for mercy on behalf of those causing his suffering. A demonstration of unconditional forgiveness. What is your capacity to forgive those who have done you harm? What does it mean to release resentment? Put most simply, who might I need to forgive?
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
In saying it Jesus offers hope, grace and mercy. How (and where) do we show mercy, humility, and redemption?
“Woman, behold your son.” … “Behold your mother.” (John 19:26–27)
Jesus addresses his mother and the disciple John, entrusting them to one another's care. Here, the Saviour is ensuring the well-being of his loved ones in the formation of a new spiritual family formed in a moment of pain. We are invited to reflect on care, responsibility and the ties that bind us. Who really matters to us?
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
Some interpret this as a cry of despair, others see it as the human expression of being abandoned; at the same time Jesus still reaches out to God. This invites the congregation to reflect on their own moments of doubt, suffering and spiritual distance.
“I thirst.” (John 19:28)
Jesus, in the final moments of his life, speaks of his physical thirst. This very human admission of physical suffering and need, can be seen symbolically as a cry of longing, for connection, for meaning, or for the fulfilment of divine purpose. It reminds us that even in the most transcendent moment, basic human vulnerability can be found. What do I need right now? Or, who around me might be in need, and have I noticed?
“It is finished.” (John 19:30)
Jesus’s final words in the Gospel of John. He speaks them just before his death. Not seen as a cry of defeat, but a declaration of fulfilment. ‘It is finished’ speaks to a moment when we acknowledge completeness. Not so much defeat as clarity.
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
The final words of Jesus according to the Gospel of Luke. Jesus speaks them just before drawing his last breath, entrusting himself to God in death, acknowledging that he no longer needs to hold control. This phrase invites us to reflect on trust, surrender, and acceptance. A recognition that we are not always in control, and that there can be peace in letting go. Where do I need to trust the process and let go completely?
Even outside the structure of Christian prayer, the opportunity to follow a contemplative path underscored by the clarity of Haydn’s music is a fulfilling prospect. In the arrangement for string quartet there is clarity in the sparseness of the voices that promises a private hour of reflection. The arrangement for soloist, chorus and orchestra is a comparatively grander setting -- a poignant moment of collective contemplation. In both, Haydn’s music unifies listeners in a shared space where all are invited to pause, reflect and maybe begin again.
Book tickets for our Music for Good Friday concert on Friday 18 April with the Northern Ireland Opera chorus, soloists Mary McCabe, Jenny Bourke, Euan McDonald, Seamus Brady and conductor Christoph Altstaedt, featuring Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ and Richard Strauss's Metamorphosen.