Markus Passion is an intimate yet powerful new production, offering audiences a fresh way to experience Bach’s lost Passion. In addition to his well-known Passions based on the Gospels of John and Matthew, Bach wrote a Passion setting for the Gospel of Mark. After his death in 1750, Bach’s Markus Passion was hand-delivered to a Leipzig publisher. By the time a comprehensive compilation of Bach’s surviving music was undertaken, the work had gone missing.

The lost Passion was reconstructed in 2019 by Malcolm Bruno. He used the surviving libretto (text) and matched it with music primarily from Bach’s Trauerode, a work that shares its unique instrumentation and mood. To replace the missing recitatives and choruses, he incorporated spoken-word narration from the Gospel of Mark.

In 2025, this remarkable reconstruction is reaching new audiences through a bold and theatrical reimagining. The OBF-commissioned stage production tours the US and UK featuring beloved TV/film actor Joseph Marcell, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as the Evangelist and narrator.

This innovative “pocket passion” is performed by four singers and a small orchestra. It’s the first-ever staged production of Markus Passion, presenting Bach’s music in a strikingly theatrical way. Created by Concert Theatre Works, the production aims to make classical music more engaging and accessible. Artistic Director Bill Barclay explains:

"We need to lower our guard, tell a good story, hook people with joy, reminding all of us that we’re part of a bigger story about humanity than just the internet."

Learn more about Concert Theatre Works and their mission to build new audiences 
for classical music through innovative theatrical productions in 
the YouTube video below.

After touring the East Coast and UK, Markus Passion comes to the Pacific Northwest in July, with Oregon Bach Festival proudly presenting this work as part of its 2025 season.

As commissioners of the project, OBF sees this as an opportunity to connect audiences with Bach’s legacy in a dynamic, new manner.

“OBF’s theatrical presentation creates a unique experience for audience members,” Associate Director of Programming Holly Roberts said. “Sound, sight, and emotion combine as Markus Passion unfolds in vivid detail before our eyes.”

Under the baton of Julian Perkins, artistic director of Portland Baroque Orchestra, OBF’s Pacific Northwest tour will visit Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.

Julian Perkins, Oregon Bach Festival, 2024

“Small in size, but big on Passion! What a joy and privilege it is for us at Portland Baroque Orchestra to be collaborating with the Oregon Bach Festival and Concert Theatre Works in bringing Bach's newly-minted Pocket Passion to life.”

Malcolm Bruno, who wrote the music and reconstructed Bach’s lost masterpiece, is equally excited about this collaboration:

“I’ve followed the Oregon Bach Festival since my student days when Helmuth Rilling was director, so it is a double thrill that performances come not only to the East coast and Pittsburgh but to OBF and the Pacific Northwest - a climax of this journey! Thank you OBF for embracing this unusual project!”