St. John Passion- an experience

By Anonymous -

I did not grow up with any sort of structured religion, but what I did know from a young age was music. I loved to sing and dance to the radio, and my family would get together at holidays and bring multiple guitars so we could make music together. Having been involved with many choruses over the years, I have sung a great number of spiritual pieces, but nothing like Bach's St. John Passion.



I was at once blown away by the first note; the intensity of the piece is set up from the very beginning. Not being able to understand the words unless I focused intently on the program, I tuned in to the music alone. Its complexity and beauty really spoke to me. I did not experience the concert on a spiritual level as many others most likely did; I really had little context for the text itself. However, I can imagine that the musical elements complimented it perfectly, alternating between full and strong choral lines and softer, more warbling solos. Also, being able to focus on the music aspect of the performance made me appreciate all of the work that the performers had to have put into it (Really, how many of them do you think were fluent German speakers?) It takes a great amount of skill and dedication to their craft for the musicians to be able to perform such an intricate piece so beautifully. The fact that the ensemble was comprised of three separate groups only made it more impressive to me. I can only imagine how it would feel to be a part of such a production. If it was that moving to me, someone who had only minimal knowledge of the story and no understanding of the words, singing the passion must have been such an emotional experience.


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