Bach’s St John Passion has the potential to “excite emotions and intellect in equal measure” and Ashutosh Khandekar presents his piece “Bach’s ‘St John Passion’: balancing human drama and spiritual devotion ahead of a range of performances, including by Ex Cathedra, on the run up to Easter.

“Few works in sacred music feel as immediate as Bach’s St John Passion. If the later St Matthew Passion unfolds on a broader and more contemplative canvas, the Johannes-Passion is tighter, more concentrated, and dramatically alert. Written for Good Friday Vespers in Leipzig in 1724, it was the first Passion Bach presented in his new role as Thomaskantor. Bach wanted to make his mark, and from the outset, it’s clear that the music is not just a backdrop to the Good Friday liturgy. This is storytelling at its most gripping… Jeffrey Skidmore gives in to any resistance: ‘Bach’s music is simply the greatest!’ he enthuses. ‘It seems to cross international boundaries, from Japan to Brazil; composers revere his work, from Mozart to MacMillan. No-one writes happy music like Bach, or sad music, or love-songs. In fact, all the emotions can be found in his work. His music is uplifting, it makes you want to dance, to move, to be joyful, to be alive. It should be available on the NHS!’”

To read the full article, please visit Continuo Connect here.