The Galway Music Residency is delighted to present Haydn’s: The Seven Last Words of Christ on Holy Thursday 13th April at 8pm in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway. 

Originally commissioned in the 1780s by the Archbishop of Cadiz to punctuate his own sermons on the Words as part of an Easter service, the work was first performed on Good Friday, 1787, as part of the midday service.  The cathedral’s walls, windows and columns were clothed in black; the only light came from a single central lamp; and the huge cathedral doors were locked at the start of the service.  

For this performance, the Archbishop’s sermons have been replaced by Pulitzer-prize winning Mark Strand’s Poem After the Seven Last Words.  This series of seven meditations will be delivered by Galway-based poet and playwright Vincent Woods with Haydn’s exquisite music following each sermon performed by the Galway ConTempo Quartet.  

Haydn’s celebrated work considers Christ’s anguish on the cross and has been described as a work deeply revealing of the human condition. It is considered among the great pieces of Easter music. 

Tickets: €10 are available on www.eventbrite.ie or at the venue. For further information, visit www.thegalwaymusicresidency.ie or call 091-586706. The Galway Music Residency is supported by The Arts Council, NUI Galway, Galway City and County Councils, and GMIT.