Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Good holiday listening

I am looking foward to hearing a live performance of
St. John's Passion, composed by J.S. Bach, this coming friday.
This week I am on holidays with my family at Bribie Island (this is where the photo in my blogger profile was taken! The dog is the family pet, Elsie). I am enjoying
listening to a CD recording of the English translation. Bach had such a rich and profound theological and Biblical knowledge that he was able to illuminate in such an emotionally engaging way by setting it to music. The narrative of Jesus arrest, trial, and crucifixion alternates with chorus describing our response to these events. It begins:

Sire, Lord and Master, unto thee be praise
and glory evermore. Ah, by thy loving sacfific, thou, Lord, the only Son of God, are risen on high from deepest woe and bittter pain, triumphant over death.

A great testimony to human creativity and expression. But as Bach, signed the score SDG (soli deo gloria).

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